Koncocoo

Best Mountaineering

Into Thin Air
As he turned to begin the perilous descent from 29,028 feet (roughly the cruising altitude of an Airbus jetliner), twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly to the top, unaware that the sky had begun to roil with clouds... Since the 1980s, more and more "marginally qualified dreamers" have attempted the ascent of Everest, as guided commercial expeditions have dangled the possibility of reaching the roof of the world in front of anyone wealthy enough to pay for the privilege. By writing and reading Into Thin Air , Krakauer may have hoped to exorcise some of his own demons and lay to rest some of the painful questions that still surround the event. He takes great pains to provide a balanced picture of the people and events he witnessed and gives due credit to the tireless and dedicated Sherpas. Clearly, Krakauer remains haunted by the disaster, and although he relates a number of incidents in which he acted selflessly and even heroically, he seems unable to view those instances objectively. Heroism and sacrifice triumph over foolishness, fatal error, and human frailty in this bone-chilling narrative in which the author recounts his experiences on last year's ill-fated, deadly climb.
Reviews
"The recent release of Everest (or reinterpretation) prompted me to read this as well as other books about the climbing season in question."
"Gripping story of the tragic Everest ascent on which many members of various climbing groups lost their lives."
"I believe Krakauer did an excellent job of backing up his facts and represented what happened at Everest as best as he could."
"one of the most amazing, exciting, horrifying, detailed adventures I've ever read about."
"I found this book to be engaging, interest, and well-written. I didn't realize when I bought the book, that it is highly controversial."
"Definitively a good book to read for all who knows a bit about survival in cold environments, and maybe just a dramatic story for those who have never had any experience with it."
"There are two very important lessons that I will take away from this book, and to Mr. Krakauer I am eternally grateful because he allowed me to learn them from the warmth of my home, rather than in a -150F gale on top of the world. If you make rash decisions (and you will, Krakauer notes repeatedly thought this work that lucidity is nigh impossible above 28,000 feet) it is very likely that you will die. Hundreds of horrifically under-qualified individuals attempt this climb without specific glacier navigation experience, relying on the skill and knowledge of world class guides to make up for their considerable shortcomings. Indeed, several family members of the deceased have decried Krakauer's prose, both in private and through the media, as speculative, misleading and downright slanderous. Much of this is a matter of perspective, but for my part it seems as though this book's narrative was written by an objective observer who reported his perceptions with as little subjective judgment as possible."
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Following Atticus: Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship
Following Atticus is an unforgettable true saga of adventure, friendship, and the unlikeliest of family, as one remarkable animal opens the eyes and heart of a tough-as-nails newspaperman to the world’s beauty and its possibilities. “How can you go wrong with a cute little dog who braved the White Mountains’ highest peaks time and again…over the ice, snow and sometimes deadly uncertainty of wild winter altitude in New Hampshire? Far more than just a typical man–and–his–dog account…Ryan and Atticus have delivered on all counts.” (Manchester Union Leader ). It’s lovely to learn about our higher selves from an unlikely source like Atticus M. Finch.” (The Day (Connecticut) ). Why ‘follow Atticus?’ Because, [Ryan says], ‘Dogs, like mountains, bring you back to yourself.’” (AMC Outdoors ). is an engaging storyteller whose humorous, self-deprecating descriptions evoke Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering American on the Appalachian Trail and John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley: In Search of America.” (Appalachia ). Following Atticus is the remarkable true story of a man and a dog embarking on the challenge of a lifetime. This is author Tom Ryan’s inspiring tale of how he and his miniature schnauzer companion, the “Little Buddha” Atticus M. Finch, attempted to scale all forty-eight of New Hampshire’s four thousand foot White Mountains twice in the dead of winter. It is a story of love, loss, and the resilience of the human and animal spirit that’s as thrilling as Into Thin Air and featuring the most endearing and unforgettable canine protagonist since Marley and Me .
Reviews
"You don't have to be a "dog person" to be captivated by this real-life story of friendship, gratitude, discovery, adventure, overcoming adversity, and love of the White Mountains of New Hampshire."
"I absolutely adored this book."
"I loved the quotes from other classic authors."
"This book had a profound effect on me."
"Following Atticus was an amazing read."
"After that go to Tom's website and to his Facebook page to see beautiful photos of him and Atticus and, since the book was completed, of Will, an ailing mini schnauzer who Tom has since adopted."
"Tom Ryan makes his and Atticus' story powerful through his delightful narrative woven with honesty, humor, simplicity, and love."
"Perhaps the memories of our dog Max sharing the lands of the White Mountain Apache tribe draws this story closer to my heart."
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SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere
Revised to reflect the latest in survival knowledge and technology, and covering new topics such as urban survival and terrorism, the multimillion-copy worldwide bestseller SAS Survival Handbook by John "Lofty" Wiseman is the definitive resource for all campers, hikers, and outdoor adventurers. Being prepared: Understanding basic survival skills, like reading the weather, and preparation essentials, such as a pocket survival kit. Written by John Wiseman, former survival instructor for Britain’s elite Special Air Service (an all-conditions strike force considered by some to be tougher than the U.S. Navy SEALs), the book addresses every conceivable disaster scenario.
Reviews
"The full-size SA Survival Handbook is incredible, but it is a large book and pretty heavy for a day hike pack."
"This book is very comprehensive and I recomened this book for everyone it is handy to keep in the house and defently a book to read here and there and it's something to practice because learning even the basic survival skills is a important skill in life."
"").For example, as someone who needs practice making fire, I thought that there should have been more information on fire making; however, there is plenty of information of types of fire (windshields, making fires in the snow, etc)."
"This little book is filled for useful information on what to eat, not to eat, what insects or animals are poison or not, and many other useful bits of information."
"If you've never had a drill instructor in your face and you're a bit of a softy, you too need to read this book."
"But as is, it covers too many topics, from how to deal with computer viruses (keep your software updated, use an anti-virus program) to warnings about scurvy ('always aim for a balanced diet'). There are pure factual errors (people cannot survive 12 days without water, even in cool temperatures) and frequent mixing of good and poor advice (crossing a river in a group one behind the other is terrible, exposing each to the full force of the water, while crossing in a line facing downstream, with arms interwoven, is universally recommended). For rope, climbing, and mountaineering skills, Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills, 8th Edition. If you just want information on snow caves (another better alternative to an igloo), Ernest Wilkinson's slim book is out-of-print but easy to find: Snow Caves for Fun and Survival. For glacier travel, crevasse rescue, and high-angle rescue in general, Andy Selter's book is remarkably efficient. A few pages go a long way on each topic: Glacier Travel & Crevasse Rescue: Reading Glaciers, Team Travel, Crevasse Rescue Techniques, Routefinding, Expedition Skills 2nd Edition. For emergency wilderness medicine, Eric Weiss' books are the most popular, and they're fine."
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Best Ecology of Mountains

Beyond the Deep: The Deadly Descent into the World's Most Treacherous Cave
But beyond that lay the unknown territory: a flooded corridor that had blocked all previous comers, claimed a diver's life, and drove the rest of the team back-except for William Stone and Barbara am Ende, who forged on for 18 more days, with no hope of rescue, to set the record for the deepest cave dive in the Western Hemisphere. Set in stygian gloom, this account of a 1994 caving expedition in southern Mexico produces what adventure readers crave: danger, dissension, death, and ultimate success. As the saga unfolds (dramatically assisted by admittedly reconstructed dialogue), the riskiness of the enterprise becomes apparent as the cavers survive various snafus, which rattle some group members who come to resent Stone's hard-charging style. -- Wade Davis, Explorer-in-Residence, National Geographic Society, author of THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW "... describes one of the most significant achievements of modern exploration, with personal stories that make this an exciting, page-turning read."
Reviews
"This is a great book written by two of the cavers involved in the expedition."
"This is a good book about a sort of Everest expedition though 'upside down.'."
"I was looking for a good book about real life adventure, and this surely paid off."
"Fantastic story, great writing."
"an obscure "sport" and now i want to find out so much more about the people who have the need to explore our world."
"Excellently written!"
"An excellent read."
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Best Sports Training

Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body (The Muscle for Life Series Book 1)
If you want to build muscle, lose fat, and look great as quickly as possible without steroids, good genetics, or wasting ridiculous amounts of time in the gym and money on supplements...then you want to read this book. You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars per month on the worthless workout supplements that steroid-fueled bodybuilders “swear by.” You don't need to constantly change up your weightlifting exercises to build muscle mass. The exact muscle building nutrition and training methods that make putting on 10 to 15 pounds of quality lean mass a breeze...and it only takes a few months. An all-in-one bodybuilding routine that will give you a big, full chest…a wide, tapered back…bulging arms…and thick, powerful legs...in just 3 to 6 hours of exercise per week...doing weight training workouts that you actually look forward to. With this fitness book you'll also get a free 98-page bonus report that contains a year's worth of Bigger Leaner Stronger bodybuilding workouts as well as Mike’s personal product and supplement recommendations and more! "I am in my 5th week of doing the weight routines and eating methods and I have lost 11 pounds to date and my strength has sky rocketed." "After following this plan for only 5 weeks, I have already lost 13 lbs of body fat while continuing to build muscle mass and strength at 47 years old." "I've been following my program for 10 weeks now and am incredibly happy with my results - I've lost 8 kg and made great strength gains." Hi,I'mMike and I believe that every person can achieve the body of his or her dreams,and I work hard to give everyone that chance by providing workable, provenadvice grounded in science, not a desire to sell phony magazines, workoutproducts, or supplements.
Reviews
"The 1st year I got strong again, but was frustrated that I wasn’t losing weight. I hit a wall it in terms of not losing weight, or getting stronger. I'm absolutely amazed at the results; more importantly everyone around me is amazed at the transformation I’ve experienced."
"My outlook on life has changed DRASTICALLY over these 2 years and a large part of it is due to this book."
"I've been an athlete my whole life, and have a bachelor's & master's in Physical Education, so I draw from a lot of experience & information. (I'm 34 now and made the switch about 4 years ago) That's a huge change for a body, going from tons of cardio to a strength training focus."
"With his program design of progressive overload, I've dramatically increased my strength, and I don't have to spend multiple hours per day in the gym."
"Next up is his diet/recipe book."
"For me, diet was the biggest hurdle I had to overcome, and Mike's advice was just what I needed: it's not enough to eat "healthy" foods; you have to eat the right foods in the right amounts depending on your goals. Since I wanted to lose some fat, I followed the advice he gives for cutting, and it's been working like nothing I've ever tried."
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Best Sports Coaching

The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How.
Whether you’re coaching soccer or teaching a child to play the piano, writing a novel or trying to improve your golf swing, this revolutionary book shows you how to grow talent by tapping into a newly discovered brain mechanism. Drawing on cutting-edge neurology and firsthand research gathered on journeys to nine of the world’s talent hotbeds—from the baseball fields of the Caribbean to a classical-music academy in upstate New York—Coyle identifies the three key elements that will allow you to develop your gifts and optimize your performance in sports, art, music, math, or just about anything. Combining revelatory analysis with illuminating examples of regular people who have achieved greatness, this book will not only change the way you think about talent, but equip you to reach your own highest potential. Providing detailed examples from a variety of different sources, Coyle's work becomes as motivational as the stories he presents. What emerges is both a testament to the remarkable potential we all have to learn and perform and an indictment of any idea that our individual capacities and limitations are fixed at birth."—Dr. I only wish I’d never before used the words ‘breakthrough’ or ‘breathtaking’ or ‘magisterial’ or ‘stunning achievement’ or ‘your world will never be the same after you read this book.’ Then I could be using them for the first and only time as I describe my reaction to Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code. “Daniel Coyle digs deep into the core of the insatiable desire to become ‘better.’ An amazing read with many practical applications for everyday life.” —Apolo Anton Ohno, Olympic gold medalist.
Reviews
"Daniel Coyle does a great job of research on this topic and enlightens us about how talented people in many fields have come to be and how there are ways to insure that the future holds better than average chances that more talented people will be developed by the teaching and coaching methods explained in the book."
"This book just takes a few hours to read and is well worth it."
"Very interesting reading."
"This book has changed my perspective forever."
"...But this amazing book will describe the physiological reasons some of us get good at things - through existential impulses, process ignition, a lot of practice, and perhaps some hands-on coaching along the way."
"Very interesting reading!"
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Best Soccer

Soccer iQ: Things That Smart Players Do
Soccer iQ is soccer's first text book for players; an almanac of smarter soccer decisions intended to flatten out the learning curve. - Football.com Dan Blank has been coaching college soccer for over twenty years and served most recently as associate head coach at the University of Georgia.
Reviews
"Very good book and delivered on time."
"Book provided a lot of new insight for my Granddaughter."
"Worth it, the things are obvious after you read them."
"Good read that my son can enjoy."
"Very impressed with the wisdom in this book."
"I gave my second son this as a give, but this is a little hard for him to understand."
"I've read this as a soccer coach and also let my girls (9 and 11) ready portions."
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Best Miscellaneous

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
The #1 New York Times –bestselling story about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany and now the inspiration for the PBS documentary “The Boys of ‘36” For readers of Unbroken , out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times—the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant. It encompasses the convergence of transcendent British boatmaker George Pocock; the quiet yet deadly effective UW men’s varsity coach, Al Ulbrickson; and an unlikely gaggle of young rowers who would shine as freshmen, then grow up together, a rough-and-tumble bunch, writes Brown, not very worldly, but earnest and used to hard work. In doing so, he offers a vivid picture of the socioeconomic landscape of 1930s America (brutal), the relentlessly demanding effort required of an Olympic-level rower, the exquisite brainpower and materials that go into making a first-rate boat, and the wiles of a coach who somehow found a way to, first, beat archrival University of California, then conquer a national field of qualifiers, and finally, defeat the best rowing teams in the world.
Reviews
"But by taking every sliver of hope, and mixing in superb craftsmanship (from George Pocock), excellent coaching (Al Ulbrickson), and these nine perfectly attuned young men learning together........the result was perfection. It is nice to learn something you never knew, but is common knowledge to an entire set of other people. Concepts from Daniel Brown to consider that are mixed into the story to teach all of us: 1) One of the fundamental challenges in rowing is that when any one member of a crew goes into a slump the entire crew goes with him. The speed of a racing shell is determined primarily by two factors: the power produced by the combined strokes of the oars, and the stroke rate, the number of strokes the crew takes each minute. There are other great ideas to ponder in this epic almost 400 page, could-not-put-down story."
"held local discussions, and had an opportunity to meet the author locally.If you like learning about history through a good story, this is the book for you."
"I enjoyed reading the book, although inn places it seemed a little long, or to put it another way; more information than we needed."
"Rantz is the main character in this book, and the book begins with Brown meeting a dying Rantz before transitioning back in time to Rantz’s first semester of college. Sections on Ulbrickson’s struggle to produce a winning team and sections on Hitler and Goebbels planning the Berlin Olympics illustrate the long and pivotal road to the crew team events."
"We learn about the amazing growing-up experiences of Joe Rantz, we see the pride, skill and wisdom of a master boatbuilder, we witness a beautiful love story, and we experience the chill of pre-war Nazi Germany."
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Best Softball

Throw Like a Girl: How to Dream Big & Believe in Yourself
A smart, credible, and accomplished voice from an athlete who is strong and feminine, fiercely competitive, and fashionably cool, Jennie is someone young women will listen to and take to heart. Killion has covered the major national and international sports issues of the past two decades, including the rise of Olympic softball.
Reviews
"Listening to her speak, watching how she interacts with kids, passion for her sport, reasons for her decisions in life all make me proud that my daughter's idol is Jennie."
"Great book for young girls who love softball."
"My daughter really enjoyed the book."
"My daughter loves this book, glad I bought it for her."
"My daughter was going through a rough time and This book is so relatable that it pulled her back up and made her want to fight harder."
"Great inspirational book aimed at young ladies in middle and high school."
"Encouragement is exactly what this book offers and that's really good because it gives us the young people a self drive,esteem a and an inspiration ,someone to look up to and I really thank Jennie finch personally wherever she is and I gave this rating because I was really inspired and I appreciated it a lot and I will continue reading her insp."
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Best Football

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
Then two great forces alter Oher: the family's love and the evolution of professional football itself into a game in which the quarterback must be protected at any cost. In his sketch of the gridiron arms race, first came the modern, meticulously choreographed passing offense, then the ferocious defensive pass rusher whose bone-crunching quarterback sacks demolished the best-laid passing game, and finally the rise of the left tackle—the offensive lineman tasked with protecting the quarterback from the pass rusher—whose presence is felt only through the game-deciding absence of said sacks. An intermittently homeless Memphis ghetto kid taken in by a rich white family and a Christian high school, Oher's preternatural size and agility soon has every college coach in the country courting him obsequiously. However, while most reviewers are positive, something holds them back.
Reviews
"This was a pretty good book for someone who hates football."
"Love the book, you don't necessarily have to like football to like the book."
"What a great book. Michael Lewis not only knows how to put together a captivating story, he does so with subtle wit and plenty of insight. For a casual movie fan, the film is enough, but if you like both the movie and football I cannot recommend this book enough."
"If you're a fan of high school, college, or NFL football, this book is a great read. Or if you just want to read a book that will make you laugh, challenge you, and sometimes make you questions of the motives of the protagonists, this book is a great read."
"Very good book."
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Best Rodeos

A SCANDALOUS HUSBAND (Redemption Book 2)
It's been two rough years since Dani Tattrie has seen her husband. Training horses is still her dream job but she's never recovered from her husband's bewildering incarceration. Dex Tattrie has survived being locked up thanks to his biker gang relatives and a job working with horses at the prison farm. However, a conniving cop is lurking, ready to steal both Dani and the ranch at the slightest misstep. Redemption Series: Kirkus Reviews "Bev Pettersen writes with flair and a down-to-earth warmth that will make you smile and sigh with contentment." Each character is believable and by the end of the story you know each one so well if you met them on the street you would know exactly who they were, loving or despising each." - Amazon Reviewer. "The story is great and the ending made me cry. - Amazon Reviewer. "I love a romance where you know the heroine and hero belong together but you just don't know how it's going to happen. He's the bad boy, deep down good guy you want to take home and hang on to for forever. - Amazon Reviewer. "It's cute and sweet and heart throbbing book that all into cowboys will enjoy. What I liked the most about this book though is the way the mystery wasn't overt, but then made total sense when the big reveal happened. In addition to learning much about horses, the story is paced nicely from beginning to end.
Reviews
"Dani Tattrie didn't expect to have A Scandalous Husband but one night in a motel with a woman that overdosed on bad drugs and he ended up in prison."
"I'm a Bev Pettersen fan, and I'd definitely buy more of her books, but I wouldn't re-read this one."
"The storyline is somewhat of a plug and play, not all questions are answered."
"Well done, a good plot with an interesting twist."
"Dex and Dani made a wonderful team and made a fabulous couple."
"This story has it all, heartache, devastation, doubt, and humility but also hope, yearning, and love."
"Dani was the preacher's daughter who fell in love wife the bad boy, Dex."
"An excellent love story."
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Best Hockey

Ice Capades: A Memoir of Fast Living and Tough Hockey
While playing the talented villain in the NHL, Avery broke far away from his on-ice character in the off-season, and Ice Capades takes the reader inside the other unexpected and unprecedented roles that Avery inhabited— Vogue intern, fashion model, advertising executive, restauranteur, gay rights advocate, and many more. Praise for Ice Capades : "The one-of-a-kind left winger gives an unparalleled inside look at the NHL lifestyle... whether you cheered or jeered him on the ice, any hockey fan will be interested in the stories he has to tell." — Hockey News "Ken Dryden's The Game rewritten by Hunter Thompson...This is the NHL you don't get from post-game scrums."
Reviews
"The pages drag with numerous mentions of how great a hockey player Avery believes he is and how adored he was."
"As a hockey fan I enjoyed this book."
"I grew up a Rangers fan and though there were many whom I liked Sean Avery was was always the one we were happy to watch at the games we went to."
"Sean Avery was a moonshot rocket playing for the NY Rangers."
"Fabulous inside look into a hockey player's life."
"Ok book."
"This book was a fairly interesting read about an NHL hockey player that is not the norm."
"Whether you’re interested in hockey, fashion, big city living, or just old-fashioned fun, this book will absolutely entertain you."
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Best Winter Sports

Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence
Gary's lessons and David's writing provide examples of the importance of the mental game." Through forty accessible lessons and inspirational anecdotes from prominent athletes--many of whom he has worked with--you will learn the same techniques and exercises Mack uses to help elite athletes build mental "muscle." In Mind Gym , noted sports psychology consultant Gary Mack teaches athletes the lessons he's learned about how the mind influences athletic performance as much as physical skill does, if not more so. Through forty accessible lessons and inspirational anecdotes from prominent athletes--many of whom he has worked with--Mack shares the same techniques and exercises he uses to help elite athletes build mental "muscle."
Reviews
"Great book-easy to read and provides a lot of good insight into mental training and imagery."
"This is my go-to sports psychology book for encouragement."
"I have always tried to emphasize the importance of mental training to my athletes and clients."
"Great book."
"Actually, the book was recommended by one of my former athletes, a state champion."
"Excellent book to get an athlete to consider the mental aspect of sport."
"Best book ever for mental strength on any sport and just all around confidence in life."
"Athletes at all levels could benefit from the advice and the author knows how to tell a good story. Another story about staying calm while being fired was much more applicable and we didn't need this second story to illustrate the same point."
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Best Golf

Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf
Over fifty years later, Ben Hogan’s book Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf is still considered one of the premier instructional books on the fundamentals of the game of golf. Religions are founded on less, and Hogan's detailed analyses and illustrated demonstrations of grip, stance, posture, and the two basic components of the swing make up a sacred book. Jim Fogerty Professional, Sunset Country Club, St. Louis Most articles on golf deal only in theory, but Ben is to be congratulated on probably the most practical series on golf instruction ever written.
Reviews
"My main gripe is Hogan seems to minimize the challenge many golfers have with their short game; pitching, chipping, and putting are basically ignored in the book. He should have devoted at least a chapter to putting, where a golfer could better understand nuances like reading greens and putting consistently."
"Wish I read this 20 years ago when I first started playing the game."
"There were notes in the margins of the library copy (an ignorant thing to do to a book not belonging to you) so I got him a brand new edition so that he may make his own notes."
"He has tuned every aspect of the golf swing and has shared his learning with the reader."
"It shows the basic swing thoughts of one of the greatest player in all time."
"Anyone dedicated to becoming a better golfer should read this book and review it often."
"I told him, and I truly believe, that if he reads this book before he starts playing he will be miles ahead of the average beginner."
"Excerpts from the book along with the accompanying famous drawings by Anthony Ravelli are considered a classic baseline and turn up several times a year in golf periodicals."
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Best Baseball

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
Moneyball is a quest for the secret of success in baseball. Billy Beane, general manager of MLB's Oakland A's and protagonist of Michael Lewis's Moneyball , had a problem: how to win in the Major Leagues with a budget that's smaller than that of nearly every other team. But Beane and his staff, buoyed by massive amounts of carefully interpreted statistical data, believed that wins could be had by more affordable methods such as hitters with high on-base percentage and pitchers who get lots of ground outs. Given this information and a tight budget, Beane defied tradition and his own scouting department to build winning teams of young affordable players and inexpensive castoff veterans. Lewis, one of the top nonfiction writers of his era ( Liar's Poker , The New New Thing ), offers highly accessible explanations of baseball stats and his roadmap of Beane's economic approach makes Moneyball an appealing reading experience for business people and sports fans alike. Lewis (Liar's Poker; The New New Thing) examines how in 2002 the Oakland Athletics achieved a spectacular winning record while having the smallest player payroll of any major league baseball team.
Reviews
"Lewis has somehow created a new genre - true stories of underdog's finding out something we all should have known and re-making the world as a result."
"Mr. Lewis is articulate, funny and always educating you as he describes the career arc of Billy Beane through the lens of challenging the norm."
""Moneyball" is the story of three obsessive-compulsives -- Bill James, Billy Beane, and Paul DePodesta -- who re-imagined baseball from a game of stars and heroics into one of numbers and discipline. An unemployed self-declared baseball critic Bill James understood that baseball statistics weren't just numbers and trivia: they were fundamentally a myth and a morality that sought to explain the game. In other words, while great fielding is beautiful to watch, baseball is fundamentally an offensive game, and Bill James discovered that "on-base percentage" (the times a hitter gets on base divided by the times a hitter goes to bat) and "slugging percentage" (the number of runs a team generates each inning divided by the number of batters a team sends to the plate each inning) were the best indicators of a team's future performance. Since the mid-eighties fantasy baseball players had taken James and made him into a self-publishing phenomenon, and amateur baseball theorists who counted among them expensively-educated and expensively-paid statisticians were constantly proving and refining James' theories -- but who listened to geeks anyway? What Billy Beane and Paul DePodesta found was what Bill James had long argued: that the market for baseball players was incredibly inefficient. By exploiting this market inefficiency Billy Beane and Paul DePodesta created one of baseball's most winning teams on one of baseball's smallest budgets. Then there's Scott Hatteberg, one of baseball's smartest players, and definitely the most patient and disciplined: for him baseball was a mental game, and as the game's most consistent hitter he wore down opposing pitchers by raising the ball count, gleaming valuable information in the process."
"Re-read Moneyball for the second time and it gets better the second time around."
"I don't know baseball well, but I really learned a ton about the scientific approach to the game and wonder how else we could bring this thinking in our life."
"Michael Lewis is a great author, and this book is another solid piece by him."
"Have watched the movie several times, wanted more information."
"It was great to see how the writer could clearly expose the baseball biases by allegedly honest men."
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Best Basketball

Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable
Fore more than two decades, legendary trainer Tim Grover has taken the greats—Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, and dozens more—and made them greater. Direct, blunt, and brutally honest, Grover breaks down what it takes to be unstoppable: you keep going when everyone else is giving up, you thrive under pressure, you never let your emotions make you weak. This book is the blueprint for discovering what you are capable of achieving, getting results you never imagined, reaching the highest level of success--and then going even higher." "Tim Grover’s insight into leadership and excellence has taken the greats to the top, and his book will do the same for you. "In all the years that I coached, inspired and trained world class athletes there was no better resource to collaborate with than Tim Grover." No one knows more than Tim Grover about competitive intensity, killer instinct and crushing the other guy. "A must-read... Grover calls upon his decades of experience working with the world's most eliteathletes to dissect what it takes not just to succeed, but to be the absolutebest." Tim S. Grover is the preeminent authority on the science and art of achieving physical and mental dominance.
Reviews
"Some weak scrubs who took the time out of their day to write a poor review on Amazon OR a highly successful trainer who has been the go-to guy for some of the top basketball legends who ever played?" I've always known that there are just a lot of weak people out there that can't keep up or perform at top levels. This book is for the people who can (or at least have the desire and are working on being able to) perform at top levels."
"I like Tim's direct no punches pulled philosophy and approach to improvement."
"Even though I'm not a professional athlete, this book is a wonderful read for anyone interested in being a top performer."
"Unbelievable book that gets you motivated in so many ways!"
"the best I ever read beside the bible."
"This is such a great book for anyone who is a real go-getter!!"
"I couldn't put this book down."
"This book has given me a new way of thinking about myself and how I approach life."
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Best Water Sports

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
The #1 New York Times –bestselling story about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany and now the inspiration for the PBS documentary “The Boys of ‘36” For readers of Unbroken , out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times—the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant. It encompasses the convergence of transcendent British boatmaker George Pocock; the quiet yet deadly effective UW men’s varsity coach, Al Ulbrickson; and an unlikely gaggle of young rowers who would shine as freshmen, then grow up together, a rough-and-tumble bunch, writes Brown, not very worldly, but earnest and used to hard work. In doing so, he offers a vivid picture of the socioeconomic landscape of 1930s America (brutal), the relentlessly demanding effort required of an Olympic-level rower, the exquisite brainpower and materials that go into making a first-rate boat, and the wiles of a coach who somehow found a way to, first, beat archrival University of California, then conquer a national field of qualifiers, and finally, defeat the best rowing teams in the world.
Reviews
"But by taking every sliver of hope, and mixing in superb craftsmanship (from George Pocock), excellent coaching (Al Ulbrickson), and these nine perfectly attuned young men learning together........the result was perfection. It is nice to learn something you never knew, but is common knowledge to an entire set of other people. Concepts from Daniel Brown to consider that are mixed into the story to teach all of us: 1) One of the fundamental challenges in rowing is that when any one member of a crew goes into a slump the entire crew goes with him. The speed of a racing shell is determined primarily by two factors: the power produced by the combined strokes of the oars, and the stroke rate, the number of strokes the crew takes each minute. There are other great ideas to ponder in this epic almost 400 page, could-not-put-down story."
"Astonishing tales of Joe's upbringing and resilience; the unbelievable drive of every member of the rowing teams, their coach Al Ulrickson and boat builder George Pocock; the rivalry between West Coast universities; and then the astonishment of the East Coast clubs and schools confronting the Seattle crew."
"I enjoyed reading the book, although inn places it seemed a little long, or to put it another way; more information than we needed."
"Rantz is the main character in this book, and the book begins with Brown meeting a dying Rantz before transitioning back in time to Rantz’s first semester of college. Sections on Ulbrickson’s struggle to produce a winning team and sections on Hitler and Goebbels planning the Berlin Olympics illustrate the long and pivotal road to the crew team events."
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Best Racket Sports

Open
Agassi writes candidly about his early success and his uncomfortable relationship with fame, his marriage to Brooke Shields, his growing interest in philanthropy, and—described in haunting, point-by-point detail—the highs and lows of his celebrated career. In 1992, when he burst onto the world sports stage by winning the Grand Slam at Wimbledon, he looked like a deer in headlights. Agassi has hated tennis from early childhood, finding it extremely lonely out on the court. Mike Agassi, a former Golden Gloves fighter who never made it professionally, decided that his son would become a champion tennis player. In militaristic fashion, Mike pushed seven-year-old Andre to practice relentlessly until the young boy was exhausted and in pain. He also arranged for Andre, age 13, to attend a tennis camp where he was expected to pull weeds and clean toilets. Only when Andre met tennis star Steffi Graf (whom he eventually married) did things begin to change. Readers will definitely cheer when Andre finally makes peace with the game he once hated and learns to enjoy it. An unvarnished, at times inspiring story [told] in an arresting, muscular style. Open describes Agassi’s personal odyssey with brio and unvarnished candor. Countless athletes start charitable foundations, but frequently the organizations are just tax shelters or PR stunts. Open is a superb memoir, but it hardly closes the books on an extraordinary life.”— The Wall Street Journal. Bracingly devoid of triumphalist homily, Agassi’s is one of the most passionately anti-sports books ever written by a superstar athlete.”— The New York Times “Not your typical jock-autobio fare. This literate and absorbing book is, as the title baldly states, Agassi’s confessional, a wrenching chronicle of his lifelong search for identity and serenity, on and off the court.”— Los Angeles Times.
Reviews
"I have been a tennis fan for over 17 years, born and raised in Forest Hills New York which used to be the seat of the U.S. Open championships."
"I have gained tremendous respect for Andre Agassi as person after reading this book."
"He tells not only his own story of growing into a whole conscious self, learning how to choose what matters and be the honorable character we all hope for; he talks about how this delicate complicated task works itself out deep inside any one of us."
"It shows how people (his father, Bolletari,etc) took advantage of him but it also shows how people (like his trainer, Gil, and his coach at the time, Brad Gilbert) really helped him."
"I don't want to give the book away, but give it a read if you are a tennis fan or Andre fan."
"The tennis court can be a lonely place and the book shows a look inside to what it takes to compete at this level. After reading this it make me appreciate the new breed of tennis players such as Nadal and Federer and the skill and stamina that they bring to the game."
"What an excellent way to start the book "The End"."
"We all are faced with similar challenges in our lives and aspire to be successful, and when we succumb to the challenges or fall short of our expectations of success we lose all hope."
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Best Extreme Sports

Arthur: The Dog who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home
Crossing rivers, battling illness and injury, and struggling through some of the toughest terrain on the planet, the team and the dog walked together toward the finish line, where Mikael decided he would save the dog, now named Arthur, and bring him back to his family in Sweden, whatever it took. "Arthur latched onto an extreme sports team during the Amazon race - and what happened next will melt the hardest heart"—Daily Mail.
Reviews
"GREAT BOOK IT REALYY TOUCHES YOR HEART."
"Great story!"
"I loved this account of a bond made in an unexpected place and at an unexpected time."
"Great story !"
"A very good read.Thank you."
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Best Other Team Sports

Daniels' Running Formula-3rd Edition
Get in the best shape of your running career with the help of Daniels’ Running Formula, the book that Runner’s World magazine calls the best training book. Premier running coach Jack Daniels provides you with his legendary VDOT formula to guide you through training at exactly the right intensity to run stronger, longer, and faster. “In one way or another, today’s serious runners abide by training principles rooted in Jack Daniels’ research and philosophy and outlined in his famous book, Daniels’ Running Formula.” — Running Times. “In one way or another, today’s serious runners abide by training principles rooted in Jack Daniels’ research and philosophy and outlined in his famous book, Daniels’ Running Formula .”. Jack Daniels has been called the world’s best coach by Runner’s World magazine. Daniels has decades of experience as a track and cross country coach at institutions such as Oklahoma City University, the University of Texas, Brevard College, and the State University of New York at Cortland. Since 1997 Daniels has been the national running coach advisor for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program, which involves coaching thousands of marathon runners each year.
Reviews
"I have a doctorate and three master's degrees, and I still find my brain swimming when I try to make it through some of the scientific info. After three or four months, I found I wasn't improving my times much, so I decided to give Daniels another go-round and bought the new edition. That pace, of course, would have been faster had I done just a 6k, so there is evidence in my experience that shows that this program works if you give it a chance. If you don't have one, go get one, either by signing up for a local 5k or going to a high school track and pushing yourself for a mile. And it has to be a decent effort on your part, not just a leisurely jogging time, otherwise this program will be useless to you. If you've been running but not necessarily pushing yourself hard, then start on Phase 2, page 180. Personally, I would recommend reading chapter four in which Daniels talks about each of these paces and what you're trying to accomplish with them, but it's not absolutely necessary for the training. Just be careful when you do so that you're not moving up too early--injuries and burnout can easily happen. Personally, I have read the whole book, and I'm glad I have, but I would recommend doing so after you have your running plan worked out."
"This is a great book for those who like to run and write an intelligent running program."
"I love ready running books and books on training."
"This book does a very good job helping setup a training plan for your planning race distance, and provides good information on several aspects of running as well."
"Dr. Jack Daniels takes the guesswork out of what paces you should train at for each specific workout type."
"I have gotten to be a much faster runner recently and need more than just standard Hal Higdon fair to increase my speed."
"I read a good amount of "motivational" running books and great running "stories", but now I wanted to run with a purpose."
"Not just a great book but really a template for all other running plans to build from."
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Best Individual Sports

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands. Above all, he recalls the foundational relationships that formed the heart and soul of Nike, with his former track coach, the irascible and charismatic Bill Bowerman, and with his first employees, a ragtag group of misfits and savants who quickly became a band of swoosh-crazed brothers. It’s an amazing tale.”— Bill Gates, one of his favorite books of 2016 “ Shoe Dog is a great American story about luck, grit, know how, and the magic alchemy of a handful of eccentric characters who came together to build Nike. That it happened at all is a miracle, because as I learned from this book, though we are a nation that extols free enterprise, we also excel at thwarting it. I’ve worn the gear, with pride, but I didn’t realize the remarkable saga of innovation and survival and triumph that stood behind every swoosh. " Shoe Dog is an extraordinary hero's journey, an epic tale of faith, unparalleled determination, excellence, failure, triumph, hard earned wisdom, and love. Phil Knight takes us back to the Big Bang of the swoosh, recalls how he first begged and borrowed from reluctant banks, how he assembled a crew of eccentric but brilliant misfits, how they all worked together to build something unique and paradigm changing. "A fresh historical prospective on one of the most profiled companies in the world...[ Shoe Dog ] builds characters of the people behind the brand, many of whom we've never heard of." As Knight collects the misfits and oddballs who become the core of his growing company, Shoe Dog is more like The Lord of the Rings than a typical mogul memoir." As a business biography, it ranks with such recent works as Neal Gabler’s Disney and Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs . But as a personal memoir Shoe Dog reaches a depth of emotional honesty that even the best biographies haven’t touched." “A fascinating warts and all account of the company’s early years, a rascally tale of scrappiness and survival, a great read .
Reviews
"To put it bluntly, they are “crap between covers.” There are very few business memoirs that are even good, since most of them make the person writing the memoir seem like a business savant who always knew the right answers and knew things would come out right. Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog: A Memoir by The Creator of Nike is a great business memoir. This will be a great read for anybody, but if you’re thinking about starting a business, especially a business that you expect to grow, this book belongs on your must-read list. If you start a business and that business starts to grow, you are funding the process out ahead of your cash flow. But if you’re in business, and especially if you’re starting a business and wanting to make it grow, this book should be on your must-read list. If you want some seasoned advice to help you run and grow your company, or if you just want to read a great business memoir, pick up a copy of Shoe Dog: A Memoir by The Creator of Nike."
"The author also demonstrates the importance of creative individuals to a organization, perseverance of management, and the importance of having a passionate knowledge of the product as well as market contacts with which to ensure growth."
"The last chapter sums everything together and is beautifully descriptive as it bridges and incorporates the old and new, the people who made the biggest impact to NIKE and what they are doing now.."
"Phil Knight tells his story and the story of Nike’s rise – from his earliest travels to Japan, to the company’s first stirrings in 1972 to its IPO in 1980."
"Phil Knight is an amazing CEO and he shares his many challenges and credits his crew for his many successes."
"This is a must read for any aspiring entrepreneur, not because of any technical content, but because Knight's outlook on life and business is so refreshing."
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Best Outdoors & Nature Sports

Lonely Planet New Zealand (Travel Guide)
Experience Maori culture, be wowed by beautiful glaciers or hike through gorgeous scenery; all with your trusted travel companion. Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - Maori culture, history, cuisine, arts, music, landscape, wildlife Free, convenient pull-out touring map (included in print version), plus over 90 maps Covers Auckland, Bay of Islands, Coromandel Peninsula, Central Plateau, Rotorua, East Coast, Wellington, Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown, Fiordland, Southland and more. Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing.
Reviews
"This book was the end-all-be-all for references and recommendations in New Zealand."
"Very informative, with up to date information and good recommendations on activities, restaurants, etc."
"Incredibly helpful in planning my trip to New Zealand."
"Provides most of the necessary information."
"We stuck mostly to the book and had an amazing trip."
"Informative and easy to use and enjoy."
"For trip planning, background history, information about the country and important travel tips to know it is great."
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