5 comments about Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance.

1. I've seen real results using the knowledge I obtained after reading this book. The sections on 'when' to eat as well as the section on supplements (including what he uses) is worth the price alone. The writing is also simple enough and doesn't devolve too much into scientific studies that it loses your attention. Highly suggested for any kind of endurance athlete.



2. Oh my what a disappointment this book was. I can honestly say that I did not learn a thing, except for what some famous runners eat. There are pages and pages of detailed information and studies that I will never read again. I have been running for fun for a few years and decided this year to start getting serious. I was hoping that this book could help guide me to eat more effective foods for a runner. Perhaps if I spent all my time eating junk food and candy bars, this book would have been helpful. I certainly will never buy a book from this author again, as he clearly did not have anything new or useful to say.



3. Matt Fitzgerald really breaks down what sometimes can be confussing and complicated diet and fitness tips. Great advice on suppliments!



4. This book is an easy read that summarizes current information about weight management. The insights are researched based (and quoted) so that you can follow up as you wish. The author puts forward his own proposal, and is clear that it has not yet been "tested", although it's based on the inisghts from research.



5. This book will be helpful to beginning athletes or those who have been training awhile but have no idea what they are doing, or have never approached an endurance sport in a serious way. It takes concepts that are commonly known by experienced athletes and puts them in one publication. Everything here can be gleaned from other readings but this at least makes it convenient. I can't find anything here that I either hadn't learned myself or learned from others over the past 30 years of endurance racing, from swimming to cycling to running or even backpacking. If you've been at it a long time in a serious way you already know everything that is presented in this book and probably could add a few things of your own.

5 comments about Called to Coach: Reflections on Life, Faith, and Football.

1. This was so disappointing and so ... Bad.
   
   I met Bobby Bowden many times and either his age has really hit him hard in the past five years or Mark Schlabach is the worst writer I've ever read.
   
   This book just rambles through Bowden's life without giving you anything in the way of inspiration or excitement. I read it in a few hours and it's just an awful book. Save your money.



2. Not being a Florida State fan, I was surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. It's a moving story of not just an excellent football coach but an inspirational man. Bowden's story - well told by Schlabach - is a real Horatio Alger tale of a man who worked his way up the old fashioned way, through hard work, perseverance and his enduring faith.
   
   This book is filled with behind-the-scenes stories from from Bowden's long and illustrious coaching career, including his time at West Virginia and coaching against his sons as well as Bowden's early life in Birmingham and as a fledgling coach and husband.
   
   This is not just a book for football fans, but for anyone interested in truly inspirational leaders of our time.



3. This is an excellent book and should do very well.
   
   As former President Jimmy Carter so eloquently wrote on the back of Called to Coach, Bobby Bowden is a true American treasure. Whether your a Florida State fan, college football fan, parent, coach, mentor or Christian, you will find a plethora of inspirational stories from the life story of Bobby Bowden. Coach Bowden was not only one of college football's greatest coaches, but he also was one of our countries greatest leaders. The most inspiring part of this book was reading the stories, testimonials and parables from the pregame speeches Bowden delivered to his teams.
   
   I would highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about faith, values, and teaching our children to live their lives the right way.



4. I received this book as a birthday present from a friend at church last week. My first thought when receiving it was: Why in the world would I want to read a book about a football coach? I'm a grandmother and have never even watched a college football game. But my good friend heard Bobby Bowden speak recently at a Christian business leaders group near our hometown and was amazed by his wonderful stories. I read this book over the weekend and she was exactly right. Even if you're not a football fan, this book teaches us some very important lessons about morals, faith and living your life to help others. Bobby Bowden is such an inspiration. His lessons about allowing God to lead each our of lives were very inspirational. I would recommend this book to anyone.



5. Being a Miami fan, I can't help to envy FSU for having one of the Greatest coaches in college football. Great book. Very inspirational.

2 comments about Indian Fairy Tales.

1. This was a book of many wonderful Indian fairy tales. It includes tales both of a 'classical' fairy tale style and ones that are moralistic folktales instead. All are wonderful.
   
   Stories included are:
   
   The Lion and the Crane
   How the Raja's Son Won the Princess Labam
   The Lambikin
   Punchkin
   The Broken Pot
   The Magic Fiddle
   The Cruel Crane Outwitted
   Loving Laili
   The Tiger, the Brahman and the Jackel
   The Soothsayer's Son
   Harisaman
   The Charmed Ring
   The Talkative Tortoise
   A Lac of Rupees for a Bit of Advice
   The Gold-Giving Serpent
   The Son of Seven Queens
   A Lesson for Kings
   Pride Goeth Before a Fall
   Raja Rasalu
   The Ass in the Lion's Skin
   The Farmer and the Money Lender
   The Boy Who had a Moon on his Forehead...
   The Prince and the Fakir
   Why the Fish Laughed
   The Demon with the Matted Hair
   The Ivory City and its Fairy Princess
   How Sun, Moon and Wind Went Out to Dinner
   How the Wicked Sons were Duped
   The Pigeon and the Crow



2. I love Indian Tales and this one was great. No Spoilers in my reviews. A great read for free!

5 comments about Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity.

1. Helps the non-athlete drive to the goals in life and remain motivated when the oomph wains.



2. This is a great read for football fans (Saints fans in particular), but it is also an encouragement to all who have faced tragedy (such as the suicide of Drew's mother) or have had to overcome adversity (as Drew did following his shoulder injury and as the folks of New Orleans have done since Katrina). It is also encouraging to read of the Christian faith which I share with Drew. I highly recommend this book.



3. I recently had my faith tested, not in a religious fashion but faith in myself. I am working on a project that I created and am at the stage of development where others are now involved. I have been told from nearly everyone that, for one reason or the other, I have to change what I have created and do it the way everyone else does. I was close to caving to these critics when I heard and interview with Drew Brees. He talked about staying strong and using adversity as a tool to grow. He talked about having faith in yourself and your abilities. He touched me and I immediately made the call to tell my critics that this project would move forward according to my vision and no one elses. Twenty minutes later, by total coincidence, a good friend calls me from San Diego. She tells me that she is in line at a book store and has just bought me a copy of Drew Brees' new book and is in line to have it autographed. If that isn't the universe reaching out then I don't know what is.
   She sent the book, I read it immediately, and can truly say that it has changed my life. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a lift.
   I am also a 29 year San Diego Charger season ticket holder. I was at most of the Charger games that he references in the book. I was there when he hurt his shoulder. I miss him in SD. An awful lot of character walked out the door with Drew when he left.
   Hey Drew, I read your book, how about you return the favor? LOL.
   Justice Rules - 2010 Finalist Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest (A Brian Wylie Novel)



4. As a female Saints fanatic and season ticket holder since '72, this book definitely fulfilled my expectations! Drew Brees is a one in a million guy, and I believe it when he says God led him to N.O. We needed a hero, and Drew fulfilled that need, along with many other caring people, in helping to restore 'the city that care forgot'.
   
   The book was inspirational to me. I laughed, smiled, giggled, and cried. It was so well written that I felt I was sitting there with Drew as he told his story. In the face of so much adversity, his faith kept him going. So many of us would have thrown in the towel, but this man had the strength, determination, and faith to go on.
   
   I don't think I'll read a more heartfelt book for a long while to come. I could barely put it down until I finished it. And the photos! Oh my, they tell the story as well.
   
   A great read for anyone, whether or not a sports fan. A true story of a good man who has achieved great success is my kind of book! Who dat? Drew dat!



5. I asked my wife to get this book for me as I am a die-hard Saints and Drew Brees fan. In an effort to be totally honest, I wasn't expecting a whole lot; for a couple of reasons.
   
   First reason, Drew is only 31 years old. I'll admit that I thought to myself, "heck, I've got underwear approaching that age" (well, to hear my wife you would think that). What could he possibly write about when it comes to adversity (and I've been a full-time law enforcement officer for 33 years)!
   
   Second reason, he's a jock! Most jocks (not all), when I was growing up, were not known for their articulate literary ability (in fact I'm not sure many of them could spell that much less tell you what it meant).
   
   However and whatever the reason I asked her to buy the book, I'm truly happy that I did. Yes, it's true that I've been employed in the same job for longer than Drew is old but the adversity, the unknown and the unasked question "what happens if I can't get this fixed?" that he and Brittany faced in their relatively young lives, would have kept MANY a 'better man' down for the count.
   
   As for the 'jock' notion, that never even entered the picture after I began reading (the book was truly hard to put down). It's not only well written in the sense that it's articulate but it flows well and it's easy to keep up with where he was during a given event.
   
   During the few days I spent reading the book, I kept telling my wife, "this is a good book!" She finally couldn't take anymore and she picked it up and began reading.
   
   Finally and to me personally, most importantly, it remains funny to me how one person will percieve something while the person right next to them will have seen something totally different. God knows, I've seen that event countless times in my career as a police officer but for here, I am referring to at least one of the other reviews on this same book.
   
   I read where one other reviewer was 'reminding' Drew that there is no 'I' in teamwork. And while it's true, there is no 'I' in teamwork, I remained consistently and constantly, not to mention, pleasantly surpised to whom Drew did give credit. Virtually every other page had him giving the credit to whom credit should have been given but is often overlooked, if not ignored. God.
   
   Drew Brees is a star quarterback of a team that I suspect will go down in history as making the comeback of the century, yet he did not lose sight of who blessed him with his gift, his focus and the family and team that backs and supports him. To me, that says more than any book can hold in print, about the man.
   
   Great book Drew! Well done! God bless you, your family and your team.

2 comments about The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People & Teams That Win Consistently.

1. If you've been put off by leaders who leave a wake of wreckage behind as they bulldoze towards objectives, then Dungy's writing will be fresh air to you. His conviction is that the focus of a great leader should be not on outcomes, but on the good of those being led. His purpose is clear, people first, and then objectives.
   
   Dungy makes a clear distinction between a position of leadership and a person of leadership. Even without a formal leadership title, people can still make a difference as they influence those around them. Additionally, Dungy doesn't believe leadership is something a person is born with, but rather it's a trait to be developed. A person does this by committing to those around them.
   
   Unlike many books on leadership, particularly business books, this biographical account comes across sincerely, warmly, and compellingly. Dungy's focus on people is exemplified in his writing style - it's encouraging rather than demeaning.
   
   As one might expect, many of the anecdotes and the immediate context in which leadership traits are conveyed is couched in football. Dungy is, after all, a football coach. So, be prepared to hear about situations, and circumstances, and even conflict that has surrounded his many years of coaching.
   
   In short, if you're not afraid of the pig skin and if you could use some encouragement - this just might be the book you're looking for.



2. The Mentor Leader is an excellent book that is both inspiring, challenging, and practical. Coach Dungy offers a truly unique perspective as a Super Bowl winning football coach, a devoted Christian, and a man who has benefited much mentoring and who has intentionally sought for years to have a positive influence on the lives of those he touches. The book is certainly not shy of principles and thoughtful teaching on the topics of mentoring in leadership, but it really shines as a practical and wise approach that has been borne in the laboratory of life rather than taught in a business school. Author of best-selling book Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life, he has seen firsthand "that the way to bring the best out of an individual or a team is to teach-by example and through one-on-one, step-by-step mentoring." The book is packed full of stories and anecdotes, but it is not just a random assortment of anecdotes. Dungy actually covers a lot of material, and arranges it thoughtfully.
   
   Table of contents
   Chapter 1. The Mandate of a Mentor Leader
   Chapter 2. The Mind-Set of a Mentor Leader
   Chapter 3. The Maturity of a Mentor Leader
   Chapter 4. The Marks of a Mentor Leader
   Chapter 5. The Moments of a Mentor Leader
   Chapter 6. The Model of a Mentor Leader
   Chapter 7. The Means of a Mentor Leader
   Chapter 8. The Methods of a Mentor Leader
   Chapter 9. The Measure of a Mentor Leader
   
   If you're a fan of leadership books, you'll recognize ideas and quotes by leadership experts such as Ken Blanchard, Steven Covey, John Maxwell and others. If not, that's ok too, as he weaves these in naturally along with stories and real-life illustrations. Dungy also does a great job at pointing out where ideas like mentoring and servant leadership are taught and modeled in the Bible, especially in the life of Jesus.
   
   Some of the topics or concepts that I thought were particularly interesting: focusing on strengths, the preeminence of character and integrity in the live of a leader, building a team whose strengths complement yours and each others, the importance of just hanging out and being present in the lives of those you hope to influence, the need to create a culture to effect change, and the idea of treating those you lead as volunteers. Now, there's nothing ground-breaking in any of this, but Dungy does a great job of modeling all of this, and of explaining it in a down-to-earth way.
   
   Towards the end he finishes by acknowledging that a lot has been covered, and the idea of being a mentor leader might be a daunting one, a lot to remember. So he encourages us with this advice: "Don't worry about remembering it. Think instead about beginning to live what we've talked about - each and every day, in every setting of your life. And let me encourage you to start right where you are, with the people right around you, doing something as simple as engaging with them and talking. Sometimes the smallest things we do have the biggest impact. Just start."
   
   Being a mentor leader is being about the journey, adding value in the lives of other people in every moment. The Mentor Leader should be of great interest for fans of leadership and football alike.

5 comments about Once Upon a Fastball.

1. Elements of the Davinci code, Time Travel, leftist politics and baseball do not mix well.



2. Once Upon a Fastball is pegged as a baseball book, and for diehard fans of the game, it will not disappoint for its deep mining of the main characters' baseball interests. One reviewer, though, rightly points out there is an academic puzzle solving aspect to the book, a la the DaVinci Code.
   
   But Dan Brown and W. P. Kinsella, our author is not.
   
   The story didn't really flow. The dialogue was not believable, and the baseball trivia read like it was cut and pasted out of [...]. Really, do we need to know the players' numbers? In the final chapters, the author ties together the main character's personal struggles, with the search for his grandfather. While this was all too predictable, in the end it didn't leave much of an impact.
   
   The worst part was, when it was obvious that the main character had solved the puzzle, the author doesn't let him realize it, until he has had the epiphany with the love interest. Someone supposedly so bright would have gotten it much faster than that.
   
   Still, a breezy light read. Pick it up between innings, that should make for a pleasant evening.



3. Check it out at the library if it appeals to you like it did me. Not worth actually paying money for. The end is a major letdown. I was like "Really? That's all?"



4. This is such a wonderful book on so many levels. It is a profoundly lovely story of family and love. It is a stimulating look at history as an intellectual persuit. It is an insightful look at the mystique that surruonds baseball - even if you dont subscribe to it. As someone who was 13 in 1951 to recapture some or the wackiness of the era was incredibly enjoyable. Thank you Bob Mitchell.



5. Remarkable and moving, this book combines erudition, philosophy, time travel, unsentimental musings on love, and some pretty damn good reconstruction of historically significant baseball games. Impressive piece of work and a highly satisfying read.

5 comments about Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman.

1. A pretty good read. I finished it off quickly. This is the fourth Jon Krakauer book I've read and he maintains his reputation as an excellent storyteller and journalist. His descriptions of how Pat Tillman lived and died are thorough and eminently comprehensible; Krakauer excels at eliding complex matters into digestible and literary segments. Unlike his previous books, however, the story he tells here is far from original. I learned very little about the political drama of the military cover-up of Tillman's death that wasn't readily available through other sources. The tie-in to Jessica Lynch was fascinating, however, and I credit Krakauer a for contextualizing the phenomena of friendly-fire-response in an expansive manner.



2. I finished this latest by Krakauer with a great deal of perplexity. Having read all of his previous works I have the highest regard for his demonstrated literary competence. Upon perusing the other reviews ,it was apparent that I certainly was not alone.A highly unsatisfying read,plodding between a strangely unemotional almost comic book cariacture of Tillman,flat and lifeless portrayal of the combat actions and highly partisan polemic against the Bush administration,Rumsfeld,the military,conservatives and Republicans. Vacillating between a 3 and a 1,I opted for a 1 in perhaps futile protest of authors whose previous success brings entitlement to force their political spleen upon us. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK,unless ,of course you are of the far left,antimilitary,democrat,an Obamanaut or anti conservative or Republican,in which case you will love your tired views reinforced.



3. I'll always enjoy the storytelling of Jon Krakauer-- but in this case there was too much of his liberal political agenda. To me, many of the facts were dubious or cherry picked to support his position. This is ironic given that a significant part of this book rants about using propaganda to obscure the facts and make a bogus case.
   
   Nonetheless, it is an interesting read about a fascinating person. 50% of the population (the left leaning) will love this book. The other 50% need to be prepared to wade through a cess pool of nonsense to pull out the gems in the story.



4. "Where Men Win Glory" is an ambitious, nuanced book about Pat Tillman, geopolitics and the disconnect between the propaganda and leadership of the military and the events on the ground. Krakauer should be applauded for his fearless field work and his research.
   
   There is one minor and one major problem with the book.
   
   The minor problem with the book is that it's most interesting passages are in the first half of the book and claim dominion over Pat Tillman's mother's account "Boots on the Ground by Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman". Although the first half of the book is a page turner, it is mostly about who and how Pat Tillman was raised and what motivated him in his youth and sports career. It is just creepy to this reader, that Krakauer, would try to explain Pat Tillman, better than his own mother.
   
   The major problem in the book comes after Pat Tillman leaves for his fateful Afghanistan mission. Krakauer does a great job of describing the idiotic ways the military uses artificial timelines by politically motivated commanders who are not in the field. He also describes the military as a frustrating system of length-in-the-corps meritocracy vs. the intelligence and skill based system in business and sports. Finally he succeeds in showing the reader the huge problems of execution using many different military corps.
   
   But once he sets all of this up, and with the reader inherently knowing the ending will be bad, but expending so much energy on why it will be bad, he leaves the reader to plow though the second half of the book on just military details.
   
   The books tries to be half biography/geopolitics/military high level analysis AND a detailed written account of warfare. Krakauer leaves his ability to be a great story teller in the first half of the book to be a great reporter in the second half of the book.
   
   If Krakauer would have blended both story telling and reporting throughout the book he would have better succeeded. Imagine "Band of Brothers" by Steven Ambrose describing the entire story of E Company and then a bland account of the great battles they participated in, without the same personalization, and you would have a book that does not totally succeed like "Where Men Win Glory".
   
   Despite that this book should be read. Besides its overarching macro context, it is a powerful and moving account of a special man who is atypical in this non-America's special generation. Pat Tillman, through his daily diaries and other peoples accounts, was a driven, emotional, home body who also was at peace with taking risks. He was also an avid reader of the classics, always was reading a book, and a driven student in college, who graduated with a G.P.A of 3.8. His writing skills in his daily diaries are more poetry than bland journaling. Especially poignant is his journaling on how he has to put up with kids five years younger with no education telling him what to do. Despite his frustration, he did not take the chance of early discharge to sign a big contract with Seattle (a place he and his wife Marie always wanted to live) after an uneventful tour in Iraq.
   
   The title of this review is five stars for Pat Tillman. But number of stars is not enough. Pat Tillman was a real American hero and his stubborn idealism was a "tragic virtue" wasted by a government and military with "tragic flaws".



5. There really is nothing exceptional about Pat Tillman. Like many other devoted and patriotic men and women who were outraged not just by the attack of 9/11, but also by the rise of a syndicate of criminals who would use any means necessary to kill innocents, to trade in the netherworld of drugs and arms smuggling, to launder money and extort bribes and infuse it all with religion and politics, taking advantage of those who either should have known better or were simply to dim and obedient to question authority. Of course, tick it just slightly and instead of the ragheads in the dessert, you're talking about Richard Cheney.
   
   In Tillman's case, he was an honourable man, a loving son and husband and someone with a bright future ahead of him, who did what he did because he felt in his heart that it was the right thing to do. Out of his sense of duty, he fought in a war he thought the workings of an Imperial Fool, and died in the war he set out to prosecute. He was the victim of gunshots from his own troops fired in a moment of extreme panic and under intense duress while carrying out an assignment that was simply stupid, given the circumstances they were in, and had to do more with enforcing obedience than in pursuing the very bad guys they were after.
   
   None of that makes Tillman exceptional. Thousands upon thousands of other men and women in these two conflicts, and hundreds of thousands in prior ones, have all suffered such an end leaving their loved ones devastated. A nation should try to be of some small comfort to these dear people left behind with a massive hole in their hearts, bleeding a slow death the rest of their lives.
   
   And that's where Pat's story becomes something else. This book is as much, if not more, about Pat's mother and wife and how they came to pursue the real villains in this story. Both women had an unnerving sense that they were being lied to from the beginning, and the beginning was Rumsfeld and Cheney deciding to make a poster boy of Pat. GI Joe. Sargeant York. You know, like those propaganda films you see at the multi-plex: Be all that you can be: dead as a doornail, exploited by your government, shattered and broken, if you're lucky to survive the idea that you've just killed people, or been blown half to bits.
   
   Marie Tillman wouldn't let it end there and in her dogged pursuit of the truth underscored the fact that the President of the United States is sworn to protect the country from enemies foreign and domestic. Problem here is, W is one of the enemies. There really is nothing exceptional about generating a myth about an individual soldier in order to inspire, and dupe, others. Speer and Goebbels did it all the time for the Third Reich. Lots of those men died in battle as well. There is also no "fog of war." There is certainly fear, absolute panic, complete loss of discipline in circumstances that are categorically frightening. But there is no fog. You shoot or get shot and sometimes both. Anything that moves. And that's what happened to Pat. Sent into a ravine to tow a humvee, of all the stupid things to save, aware that the Taliban had been tipped off, panic set in. Pat was hit at close range by someone who could clearly see that Pat was not Taliban, but the man paniced. More than likely, if he wasn't subsequently killed, he has received no counselling at all from the VA and wakes most nights in a cold sweat reliving what he did.
   
   Again, there's nothing exceptional about that. What is exceptional is the lengths that Cheney, Rumsfeld and W were willing to go to cover the tragedy up. What is also alarming is the man chosen to carry this out: Stanley MacChrystal. By the Army's own standards and criminal codes, what Cheney, Rumsfeld, W and Stan the Man did was criminal. Stan should have been court-martialed and sent to prison. He was awarded 2 more stars. When the Army's own CID investigated and determined beyond any reasonable doubt that what was done was ordered from the White House through the DOD Secretary directly to MacRollingStone, Cheney and Rumsfeld buried it. Nothing was done. Nothing.
   
   If you're Richard Nixon, you're rolling in your grave. Actively engaging in obstruction of justice is cause for impeachment. And prison. Marie Tillman got the goods on them and they told her clearly that there was nothing she could do. They owned the game.
   
   The "fog of war".... America has been in a fog for a while now. I figure since Reagan. A fog about who pulls the strings, a fog about who stands on their necks, a fog about the deadly mixture of religion and politics, a fog about who the government is beholden to. Along comes two women who simply loved their husband and son, and they blow the fog away. Hog tied by two wars it can ill afford, crippled by deals that gave the financial integrity of the country and the manufacturing heart to criminal oligarchies like China and Russia, duped into bailing out the very perpetrators of their financial collapse, America is a country that ought to be able to see, especially because it is now on its knees, what needs to be done, but like Einstein's definition of insanity, it keeps trying the same thing over and over, convinced a new dawn is just on the horizon. It isn't. And won't be until stories like this are no longer written. And it rids itself first of enemies domestic, before it tackles those on foreign shores.

5 comments about Open.

1. Brilliant! I could not put this book down. Andre Agassi's memoir humanized him, and just like any other ordinary citizen, he had his ups and his downs. Who would have thought that such an extraordinary tennis player had his own insecurities, just like the rest of us. The writing style was superb, and guaranteed to keep the reader enthralled page after page.



2. This is the first autobiography of a world athlete that I read and I am not disappointed at all. I have to say I give a lot of credit to J.R. Moehringer, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, who helped shape the book. Agassi gave credit to Moehringer himself in the Afterward. All that said Agassi's personality shines through the letters. He's very, very open about his personal life in all aspects. The reader get to see and 'feel' all the behind the scene of his life. In some way the reading was almost like a fiction. The book definitely helps you get to know Agassi (and like him) better. The tone is sincere and open..just like the title of the book! If you're going to read only a few autobiographies of top tennis players, I highly recommend this to be one among those few. The book got to me so much that I continued on to read Sampras's autobiography, A Champion's Mind.



3. An excellent read. Great book for anyone who watched Agassi play, or for anyone who wants to try and understand the rigors of being a champion.



4. This book provides insight into the life of an extraordinary athlete and humanitarian. It will not disappoint.. Agassi fan or not!



5. This review is only pertaining to the audio copy. I checked it out of the library because I thought it would be a great "read" for my commute. I gave up before getting through the first disc. Eric Davies's voice was a terrible choice for me with this book. I felt like I was listening to a horror movie trailer the whole time. It was very unsettling and kept me from getting connected to the material. I'll get it in paperback instead.

1 comments about The Perfection Point: Sport Science Predicts the Fastest Man, the Highest Jump, and the Limits of Athletic Performance.

1. My 14-year old science-loving son enjoys watching "Sport Science" clips on YouTube, plus he constantly asks questions about the limits of human performance. What is the highest possible dunk? The fastest possible 100m? The mightiest possible power lift? I thought that this book would be a definite hit for him. We pre-ordered the book and it arrived yesterday. I got a chance to read it before my son got home and knew that he would really enjoy it. When he saw the book he immediately rushed to read it. Of course, he wanted to just get to The Numbers at first:) John Brenkus (who is the host of Sport Science) does a wonderful job of making this topic fun and interesting, plus he does a nice job on the analytical bits where he explains how he (or rather the experts he quotes) actually get to The Numbers.
   
   One quibble: The book keeps on going on about what we could theoretically eventually achieve in time, but - hey - we will be a different species by then given our rate of evolution. Huh? According to one expert, we are a different species than we were 200 years ago and we will certainly be a different species in a 1000 years. Hmmm. Strange.
   
   Remember this book is full of statistical models about theoretical maximums. [Note: I am a statistician by training so I appreciate statistical models for what they are.] There is certainly no guarantee that humans will reach these theoretical maximums, but remember these are just that - theoretical maximums. A human will NEVER run a 100m faster than 8.99 seconds. Will he ever reach the theoretical maximum? Maybe, maybe not. He will approach the theoretical maximum, but he never will surpass it because he never can surpass it due to human limitations. (This is where the different species stuff comes in; a different species of human - one more "evolved" - would have different limitations, and, thus, different theoretical maximums and all that).
   
   Now that man has goals to aim for, he will certainly have a better shot at reaching the theoretical maximums. Thank you, John Brenkus, and good luck, mankind!

5 comments about Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen.

1. I had read articles about the Tarahumara Indians, so I was very interested in reading this book. The author does a great job of touching on the entire running industry from ultrarunners, to the evolution of running shoes, to nutrition, to running injuries, to an anthropological discussion of our running ancestors.
   
   Initially, I had a little trouble keeping on the path, as the author followed different topics. But, after a few chapters, I understood his writing style and thoroughly enjoyed the book.
   
   Now that I've read this book, I'll never by $130 running shoes again. And, I'm eager to seek out resources for barefoot running.



2. This book changed the way I look at running. It is a little dramatic at times but can be great if you go with it and look for deeper meaning. Anyone that has ever enjoyed running, or especially anyone that has tried and failed to enjoy running, should read this book.



3. This review pertains to the audio book. I was looking forward to this book as read some great reviews, but the narrator made listening difficult. At times overly dramatic and at times unconvincing, I couldn't even get through the first disc.



4. Once upon a workout dreary, while I trotted, weak and weary,
   over many quaint and furious heel-strike, feet now throbbing sore,
   while I stumbled, nearly bumbled, suddenly there came a stabbing,
   as of someone cruelly stabbing, stabbing at my insole's door.
   "Tis an odd pebble," I muttered, "stabbing at my insole's door-
   only this, and nothing more."
   
   Ah, distinctly t'was but likely, from the dark pits of my psyche
   as each separate worn out Nike, wrought its mark on arches sore.
   Lo, though I felt idiotic; - vainly I implored my new orthotic-
   mend my arches, end my sorrow- sorrow for my poor foot's core
   For the rare and radiant arch once named within this biped's core-
   nameless here for evermore.
   
   And with painful step uncertain, pulled aside my mental curtain
   Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
   So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
   "'Tis some pebble entreating entrance at my poor foot's core-
   Some odd pebble entreating entrance at my poor foot's core; -
   This it is, and nothing more."
   
   Presently the pain grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
   "oww," said I, "You pebble, though small have made running such a chore
   And as I run my strength sapping, and so quickly you came rapping,
   And so forcefully you came tapping, tapping at my poor foot's core,
   That I scarce was sure I felt you"- here I un-shod the poor core,
   empty there, and nothing more.
   
   Deep into that Nike peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
   Doubting, dreaming dreams no runner ever dared to dream before;
   But the silence was unbroken, and the emptiness gave no token
   The only word there spoken was to this biped's unshod core
   This I whispered, and an echo murmured back, "ouch- foot is sore"
   merely this, and nothing more.
   
   Back into the Nike turning, all my joints within me burning,
   Soon again I felt a tapping somewhat harder than before.
   "Surely," said I, "surely that is something in my orthotics:
   Let me see, then what therat is, and this mystery explore -
   Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
   'Tis a poor fit and nothing more."
   
   Now I stood and flung the shod, though not far, it landed whence I trod,
   Now stood I, bare and stately, looking on pale feet once sore
   Not the least pain in my feet; they smiled back as to entreat
   Now set freed and perched below me was my pale white core
   Perched in dust and now unshod there was my pale white core
   Perched and bare, sore no more
   
   Then this bony foot beguiling my sad frowning into smiling
   By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.
   "Though thy form art shaped and true, thou," I said, "art sure no shoe,
   Ghastly grim and ancient foot wandering from the Nike shore -
   Shouldn't I shod you to protect you and your fallen core
   Quoth my foot, "Nevermore."
   
   Much I marveled this ungainly foot to hear discourse so plainly,
   Though its answer little meaning- little relevancy bore;
   For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
   Ever yet was blest with seeing naked foot in dust to adore -
   Foot or toe upon the dirty brown dust now below me, that I now adore,
   And now to shod "Nevermore."
   
   Now my foot, standing lonely in the dirty dust, spoke only
   That one word, as if its soul in that one word it did outpour.
   Nothing further then it uttered- no step had it stuttered-
   Till I scarcely more than muttered, "other shoes I've tried before-
   On the morrow you will pain me, same as shoes have left me sore."
   Then my foot said, "Nevermore."
   
   Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
   "Doubtless," said I, "what foot utters is its only stock and store,
   Caught from some cruel Nike master whom unmerciful Disaster
   Followed fast and followed faster till its steps turned arches sore-
   Till the dirges of its Hope when shoes turned arches sore-
   Cried' Never - nevermore'."
   
   But the bare foot still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
   Hastily found I seat next to my dear feet, looked at arches once held sore;
   Then upon the dirt road sinking, I betook my feet though stinking
   Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this fallen arch often sore
   What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and fallen arch often sore
   Meant in croaking "Nevermore."
   
   This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
   To the foot whose fiery soles now burned into my bosom's core;
   This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
   On the dirt road dusty lining that the bright sunlight gloated o'er
   But whose dusty dirty lining with the sunlight gloating o'er,
   shoes shall wear, ah, nevermore!
   
   Then me thought my stride grew lighter, like footwork of a prize fighter
   Stride like Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the dusted floor,
   "Doh!," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he hath sent thee
   Respite - respite, delight, from thy memories of foot once sore
   Quaff, oh quaff this kind respite, but won't the foot again become sore?"
   Quoth my foot, "Nevermore."
   
   "Barefoot!" said I, "how very odd! - better still than shoes of devil! -
   Whether Nike sent, or over-pronation caused thee foot to sore,
   Desolate yet all undaunted, on this dusty path enchanted -
   On this sole by horror haunted- tell me truly, I implore -
   Is there - is there relief by shoe to be had? - tell me - tell me, I implore!"
   Quoth my foot, "Nevermore."
   
   "Barefoot!" said I, "how very odd! - better still than shoes of devil! -
   Whether Nike sent, or over-pronation caused thee foot to sore,
   Tell this soul with fit orthotic, makes me run as though robotic,
   Shall mine foot have pain thought chronic and remain ever sore?
   Clasp arch fallen and broken, which has been forever sore?
   Quoth my foot, "Nevermore."
   
   "To you oh shoe this word in parting, shoe or fiend," I shrieked, upstarting -
   "Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
   Leave no black swoosh as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
   Leave arches to be unbroken!- quit the pain that makes me sore!
   Take thy print from out my heart, and take thy form from off my floor!"
   Quoth my foot, "Nevermore."
   
   And the shoe, never fitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
   In the pallid dust of the trail just where my once shod feet were sore;
   And the Nikes have all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming,
   And the moonlight o'er them streaming throws its shadow on the floor;
   And my sole from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
   Shall be lifted - Evermore!



5. Super book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!You'll see how easy it is to buy into marketing if nothing else! Author is a riot to read as well!