Reference Books

Baseball Prospectus 2009: The Essential Guide to the 2009 Baseball Season (Baseball Prospectus)

Amazon Price: $14.93 List Price: $21.95 Not yet published By: Plume

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Subjects -> Reference -> Almanacs & Yearbooks -> Yearbooks & Annuals
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Subjects -> Sports -> Baseball -> General

Editorial Review:

The 2009 edition of the New York Times bestselling guide to major league baseball that is simply “the best book of its kind” (Rob Neyer)

Now in its fourteenth edition, the Baseball Prospectus annual is the industry leader among annual baseball guides and the rightful successor to Bill James’s legendary bestselling Baseball Abstracts. The 2009 edition contains critical essays on each of the thirty teams and player comments for some sixty players for each of those teams. Each player’s statistics are projected for the coming season using the groundbreaking PECOTA projection system, called “perhaps the game’s most accurate projection model” (Sports Illustrated). Baseball Prospectus 2009 also contains cutting-edge essays on performance analysis, the likes of which have inspired twenty-nine of the thirty major league teams to hire current and former Baseball Prospectus writers and analysts as consultants. The baseball bible for fantasy players and devoted fans, Baseball Prospectus can be relied upon to once again hit it out of the park.

Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf

Ben Hogan

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Features:

• BEN HOGAN
• Hard Cover

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Subjects -> Sports -> Golf -> General
Subjects -> Sports -> Golf -> General AAS
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 182 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

You can shoot in the 70's!

Ben Hogan has long believed that any golfer with average coordination can learn to break 80 if he applies himself intelligently -- and here, with Herbert Warren Wind, and artist Anthony Ravielli, he tells you, step by step, just how to go about it.

The greatest golfer of our generation has distilled his experience as teacher, player, and observer of golf into a series of richly illustrated "visual instructions" that not only can improve your game and lower your score, but also can help you get even more fun out of what many people already think is the most enjoyable game in the world.

Each chapter, each tested "fundamental" is explained and demonstrated with amazing detail and clarity. It's as though the master himself were right there at your elbow, giving you a personal lesson with the same thought and care that has gone into his lifetime of golf.

The Modern Fundamentals of Golf is no instant and easy shortcut. There is none. But with Ben Hogan as your pro, you can master these basic movements very quickly. And then you can go on to develop a correct, powerful swing that will repeat. As Ben Hogan says, it's only then that you'll "discover golf for the first time."

Total Immersion: The Revolutionary Way to Swim Better, Faster, and Easier

Terry Laughlin

List Price: $15.00 By: Fireside Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $3.40

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> Swimming
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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 101 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Swim Better Than You Ever Thought You Could!

If you think fastest way to better swimming is more laps, you're wasting your breath, literally. Now you can swim better -- and enjoy it more -- using simple and original techniques developed by veteran swim coach and top-ranked Masters swimmer Terry Laughlin. Laughlin has helped more adults to swim faster, more smoothly, and with less effort than any other swimming coach in the country. Total Immersion, named for the popular workshops he gives across the country, will change the way you move your body through the water, Laughlin will take the way you swim and turn it inside out as you learn that it's technique -- not athletic ability -- that makes a strong swimmer. And best of all, you'll eliminate the boredom that comes with repetitive lap swimming. Total Immersion features:

* Step-by-step skill drills that anyone can master for better swim stokes, improved form, and more enjoyable workouts
* Tips on how to eliminate energy-robbing "drag" and swim more powerfully-with less effort
* The Total Immersion self- taught stroke makeover
* Dry land exercises to improve what you do in the water
* How to swim to burn off the most fat
* Easy-to follow illustrations

You will also learn which "pool toys" -- like hand paddles and fins -- can help you improve the most; how to swim for general fitness; how to stay injury-free; and much more. Based on more than twenty years of teaching, coaching, and research, Terry Laughlin's Total Immersion is sure to improve the quality of your swimming, whether you're skilled athlete or an average swimmer. And best of all, no more boring laps.

ESPN Sports Almanac 2009 (Espn Information Please Sports Almanac)

Amazon Price: $10.39 List Price: $12.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Ballantine Books Amazon Marketplace: 28 new & used starting at $7.98

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Subjects -> Sports -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great resource on sports trivia 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I love books like this. Jam-packed with facts, including sometimes little known facts. Sports trivia catches my attention. . . .

The ESPN Sports Almanac exemplifies the genre.

It begins with a look at the past year in sports. My favorite section in this part of the book is "Extra Points," weird things that happened. For example, John McEnroe, playing in a kind of "old-timers" match got thrown out of his match for going ballistic over a line call. I thought he'd mellowed?

Following are sections organized largely by sport: baseball, college football, pro football, college basketball, pro basketball, hockey, and a host of other topics (such as Halls of Fame, Olympic games, motor sports, and miscellaneous sports (such as bowling, chess, Westminster Kennel Club competition, Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champs, and so on).

Take baseball as an illustration. You have team hitting and pitching statistics (Among Chicago White Sox hitters, Jermaine Dye had the highest average among those with 125 or more at bats [.292], while Bobby Jencks had the lowest ERA among Sox pitchers [2.63]). I could spend an entire evening porting over such figures. There are also box scores of the 2008 post-season games; World Series winners from 1903 onward; home run champions each year; batting champ each year; Cy Young Award winner; and so on and on and on.

Another feature is a listing of Halls of Fame. For instance, looking at the Hockey Hall of Fame, I see some of the players whom I watched on TV and listened to on radio in the 1960s (Stan Mikita, Jean Beliveau, Gump Worsley) as well as recalled some classic officials (Andy van Hellemond and Ray Scapinello). The Boxing Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame, Bowling Halls of Fame, and so on.

Anyhow, if you like sports statistics and trivia, this book will be a treasure for you.

Editorial Review:

For more than ten years, the ESPN Sports Almanac has been the go-to reference for answers to nearly every sports question. From all-time record holders to yearly champions, from auto racing to the Iditarod, from the Australian Open to the Super Bowl—the ESPN Sports Almanac 2009 covers all the bases, with hundreds of photographs, thousands of tables, countless facts and figures, plus expert analysis from ESPN’s most respected commentators. Add fan input from ESPN.com’s SportsNation polls, along with ESPN’s unique blend of irreverence, and this new edition remains the reigning champion among sports information resources.

New for 2009:
• Full recaps of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and Ryder Cup 2008
• Expanded sections of pro-football records
• More in-depth fantasy sports league analysis
• Bigger and better coverage of ballparks and arenas, mixed martial arts, and more

College Basketball Prospectus 2008-2009: The Essential Guide to the Men's College Basketball Season (College Basketball Prospectus: The Essential Guide to the)

Ken Pomeroy, John Gasaway

Amazon Price: $14.93 List Price: $21.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Plume Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $11.75

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> College & University -> General AAS
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In the winning tradition of the New York Times bestselling Baseball Prospectus, the ultimate guide to college basketball.

From the brand that brought sports fans the New York Times bestselling Baseball Prospectus comes an all-new, one-of-akind, authoritative guide to college basketball. Utilizing the same unique prediction model, College Basketball Prospectus 2008-2009 applies objective knowledge, original hardhitting statistical analysis, and provocative writing to one of America’s most popular sports.

Divided into three sections, the prospectus includes essays on various aspects of the college game and the past season, previews of all thirty-one Division-I conferences, and a statistical abstract with the same cutting-edge mathematical analysis that has yielded a winning record of accurate predictions for the Baseball and Pro Football Prospectus series. For the 60 million Americans who are diehard college basketball fans, College Basketball Prospectus 2008-2009 is a slam dunk.

Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes

Monique Ryan

Amazon Price: $14.93 List Price: $21.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: VeloPress Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $13.44

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Diets & Weight Loss -> Diets -> Weight Loss
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Endurance athletes regularly push their bodies to the limits with strenuous training regimens that demand smart nutrition. This book provides sound nutritional guidelines to boost athletic performance in triathlon, cycling, swimming, distance running, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, cyclo-cross, and adventure racing. First, Monique Ryan creates an excellent all-purpose sports diet. Based on the building blocks of a balanced diet — carbohydrates, proteins, fats, as well as fluid, vitamin, and mineral requirements — the diet forms the foundation of the endurance athlete's good health. Individual chapters then offer detailed nutritional advice for athletes training and competing in specific sports. Ryan offers healthy approaches to losing body fat and building muscle and clearly explains the different nutritional needs of training, racing, and recovery. Also included in this practical, easy-to-use guide are tips on meal planning, shopping lists, sample menus, advice for vegetarians, and a review of popular ergogenic aids.

Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook

Nancy Clark

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Human Kinetics Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 54 new & used starting at $12.25

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Nutrition -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 34 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

absolutely wonderful 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I recommend this book to everyone. Although Nancy Clark calls it a Sport's Nutrition Guidebook, this is really a guide on the way everybody should eat in order to be healthy. She begins by giving general guidelines on what eating every day should be like. She explains why everything is important: carbs, protein, fat, sugar, dairy. Then she goes on to explain what it is each of these types of food does in the body and how and why we should eat them. She also explains how to eat and when to eat. It is an extremely detailed book where you get a whole new outlook on food. There's also some great chapters with recipes.

Editorial Review:

Boost energy, manage stress, build muscle, lose fat and improve performance with the all-time best-selling sports nutrition guide. This brand new edition will help the reader make the right food choices in health clubs, supermarkets and in their own kitchen. Whether preparing for competition or simply eating on the go, this leading sports nutritionist shows how to get maximum benefit from food. Learn how to eat before exercise and events as well as how to refuel afterwards for optimal recovery. Updated and cutting edge, the fourth edition includes the latest sports nutrition research on hydration and fluid intake, vitamins, supplements, energy drinks, organic foods and the role of carbohydrate and protein during exercise. If the reader is seeking advice on losing weight, getting energised to exercise, or generally improving health and performance, Nancy Clark's "Sports Nutrition Guidebook" has the answers they can trust.

Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance

Lennard Zinn

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Features:

• Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance
• 2nd Edition

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Just ok. 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Not enough detailed information. Needs more pictures, more examples. Otherwise the info is good and all aspects of what you need to know are covered. Just be prepared to be frustrated when you can't figure things out by the limited picture drawings. This book needs a serious overhaul.

Good Buy 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book offers a great deal of information to someone like me who is just now getting in to cycling and is not familiar with the terms and would just like to get a better sense of their bike. It lays out a very helpful maintenance guide that tells you the general amount of time needed between cleanings and replacements.

Generally Comprehensive & Detailed 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book and Down's (more popular) book at the same time. Both books have good illustrations, but this book is by far the more detailed and helpful. Down's book is VERY basic and leaves out detail needed to really tune anything to any extent.

Having said that, this book does a decent job of showing how to tune a number of bike features, as well as doing routine maintanence/repairs. However, if you are a gear-head, you probably won't be happy with less than Barnett's painfully exhaustive 4 volume set--which is likely overly detailed for anyone short of a professional shop-set.

Though a complete novice can use this book, it seems geared more to people who have at least a common sense knowledge of bikes & tools when they are looking at them right in front of them. [Down's book spends time describing things that should be obvious at a gance, while leaving out detail you need to fix something.]

Definitely a recommended buy from me....very useful.

Editorial Review:

From shifters to derailleurs, pedals to handlebars, this book covers every component of a road bike. It helps new bike owners tackle simple to advanced projects, listing the tools needed, explaining bike components, and demonstrating with detailed illustrations how to work on each part.

How to Stay Alive in the Woods: A Complete Guide to Food, Shelter, and Self-Preservation That Makes Starvation in the Wilderness Next to Impossible

Bradford Angier

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Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Hiking & Camping -> Camping
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

a fabulous base for exploring... 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

my father gave me his copy of this book when i was in college. he was a camp director in his youth and while times were different then (they taught kids how to 'live off the land' by catching their own dinner) i am still able to share many of this books teaching with my own campers in today's much reserved society.
angier has found a balance of the science of each topic mixed with easy to use tips or diagrams (although limited in the old copy that i have) so he connects with people who learn in different ways.
this book gets you excited about exploring the wilderness and trying new things rather than leaning on one style. i will be passing this book onto my nephews or niece when they're ready, too! it crosses curious generations that easily...

Editorial Review:

For more than 30 years, sportsmen, hunters, and camping families have carried this book with them every time they have ventured into the woods. In 26 clearly written, illustrated chapters, Bradford Angier spells out tips that can save time, energy and even lives. Illustrations .

The Rules in Practice 2009 - 2012 (Rules in Practice)

Bryan Willis

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Subjects -> Sports -> Water Sports -> Boating
Subjects -> Sports -> Water Sports -> Sailing -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The racing rules of sailing explained. Get ahead of the competition with this straight talking, practical guide to the racing rules 2008-2012

Rules in Practice is primarily for competitive sailors who race in keelboats and dinghies.  The Racing Rules of Sailing apply to all forms of sailboat racing.  The author – a member of the International Sailing Federation - looks at 100 key situations that occur on the racecourse – both championship and club racing.  Unlike the competition, Bryan looks at each situation from your viewpoint, the helmsman. It summarizes what each may, must, or cannot do.

 Armed with this information you will have the confidence to exploit your rights to the full, on the water and in the protest room.

 It features a special analysis of the latest rule changes and has been extended to contain the very latest Rules and Appendices in full.

 Introduction.

1. The Basics.

2. Before the Preparatory Signal.

3. In the Preparatory Period.

4. The Start.

5. The Gate Start.

6. On the Beat.

7. Rounding the Windward Mark.

8. On the Reach.

9. Rounding the Wing Mark.

10. Rounding the Leeward Mark from the Reach.

11. On the Run.

12. Rounding the leeward mark from the Run.

13. The Finish.

14. Means of Propulsion.

15. Taking a Penalty.

16. Protesting.

17. Requesting Redress & Appealing.

 The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2005-2008.

Introduction.

Basic principle.

Part 1. Fundamental Rules.

Part 2. When Boats Meet.

Part 3. Conduct of a Race.

Part 4. Other Requirements When Racing.

Part 5. Protests, Redress, Hearings, Misconduct & Appeals.

Part 6. Entry and Qualification.

Part 7. Race Organization.

Appendices.

Index.