Book Description
This must-have book -- often called the "bible of medical school guides" -- is the #1 source for medical school applicants. The 2007-2008 edition features more information than ever before and has a completely new design to improve functionality and access to the information you need when applying to medical school.
The MSAR™ is the #1 source for:
- Application procedures and deadlines
- Selection factors such as MCAT & GPA data
- Medical school class profiles
- Costs and financial aid packages
- MD/PhD and other combined degrees
- Graduates' specialty choices
MSAR™ is the only resource fully authorized by medical schools.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Product!.......2007-10-17
I was rather pleased with the item which I purchased which was the Medical School Requirements Review Book for 2008-2009. The book arrived early and was brand new as stated. I did not have any complications and have nothing but good feelings about my purchase. I will definantly be a continuous customer.
Informative........2007-10-11
This book is well organized (grouping schools by state), and lays out all of the specs that "at a glance" profiles leave out. It's a good tool to use before visiting websites and digging deeper into what each school has to offer. I'd recommend it highly.
Must have!!!.......2007-09-28
This is a must have for any student going to med school! It tells requirements and interviewing process for each school and a little more information about them. Everything is right there in that one book!
beware of year, otherwise great.......2007-09-23
Be aware that when the book says "2008-2009", it refers to the first year of medical school that you would be applying to enter. So, it's what you would want if you begin applying in the summer of 2007. Otherwise, the book is very helpful, although I wish that it contained more information on the rank of the school.
Useful Resource.......2007-09-23
This is a very useful resource in the medical school application process. It gives essential information in an accesible format.
Book Description
This valuable resource is the official ACSM preparatory tool for the ACSM Certified Personal Trainer(SM) exam and provides coverage of fitness assessment, exercise prescription, and exercise leadership along with discussions of anatomy and physiology, injury prevention, psychology, emergency techniques, exercise leadership programs, and legal issues. It includes the fundamental knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) used to improve, maintain, and/or optimize health-related components of physical fitness and performance. The Second Edition is now in full color and includes information on writing appropriate exercise recommendations, leading and demonstrating safe and effective methods of exercise, and motivating individuals.
Customer Reviews:
Heavy Lifting.......2007-10-18
Not a book that you will pick up to read unless you are taking exams or required reading as a student. I used it as a reference book mostly.
Thanks guys. .......2007-09-05
I got what I paid for and that makes me happy. My items arrived pretty much in the time frame promise and that makes me happy.
So, thanks guy. It was a pleasure doing business with you.
excellent!.......2007-04-07
This book benefits a lot to the initial trainers who even have no idea of how to deal with the training. The book is both practical and praticable to the trainer's learning how to train others with his/her own training experience. Though there are not enough illustrations in the book, I still strongly recommend the book to beginning trainers.
Great Book.......2007-01-04
Great source of information for anyone in the health and fitness field. Also a very good tool to prepare you for the ACSM or even other personal trainer certifications. I have read the ACE personal trainer book and this one beats it hands down.
Book Description
Tough Choices or Tough Times calls for first redesign of the American education system in a century. This report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce shows how the dynamics of the global economy will lead to a steady decline in the American standard of living if this country does not undertake the first thorough overhaul of its education system in a century. It shows how our country can graduate 95% of our students (not two-thirds, as it does now) after 12 years and the majority after only 10 years of grade school. It reveals how billions of dollars can be saved by changing the way students progress through the grades and how the money saved could be used to build high quality early childhood education systems, attract the best and brightest teachers, and provide the resources for even the most disadvantaged students to reach world class standards. This hard-hitting analysis describes the kind of economy needed to sustain our current standard of living and kinds of skills and knowledge that American workers need to make that economy work. It also details the dramatic changes in governance, finance, organization, and management of the American education and training systems that are needed.
Tough Choices or Tough Times was written for anyone concerned with the future of this country and the state of our schools and our job training systems. It provides a well-researched analysis of the issues and a compelling set of proposals for changing our system of education.
National Center in Education and the Economy (NCEE) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing young people with the world-class skills that will allow them to succeed in a global economy. The 26-member commission includes former Cabinet secretaries of labor and education, Senators, Members of Congress, school superintendents, CEOs of major firms, union leaders, and governors.
Customer Reviews:
Releiance on Objective Tests.......2007-02-20
This is an interesting and important document from a group who have had considerable influence on education policy. My largest disagreement is the emphasis on external testing rather than classroom assessment. Good art and music teachers both teach and assess creativty. There is no external test for this ability; whose importance is emphasized in the report.
A well-written wake-up call........2007-02-04
This book by the Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce is well written in clear terms with summaries and simple graphics. It is a must read for anyone interested in the future of the US economy. The Commission points out the risks of our poor pre-university education to the US economy. India and China are now competing with the US in the high skilled labor market (not just low skilled) and at lower wages. With the Internet, many jobs can be done anywhere, and companies will hire the best at the lowest cost (Indian engineers make $7500 annually with the same qualifications as US engineers who make $45,000).
The Commission describes how US universities continue to be the best in the world, but grade schools and high schools have fallen behind. In the 20th century the US pioneered universal education, and received an influx of talent, from scientists fleeing Germany before World War II to a more recent influx of Asian students, who stayed and worked here. But now, other countries have passed us in pre-university education and many foreign students are going back to their own countries after graduating.
"A Nation at Risk" came out in 1983, saying "If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre education performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war." The Tough Choices Commission points out that since then we've had a more than doubling of spending on education (inflation adjusted) with only modest improvement. The Commission concludes that the main improvement, standards testing, turns out to be misguided because it is multiple choice, not essay, and thus doesn't teach the creative, out of the box thinking needed for the US to maintain its lead. Multiple choice tests are by definition "in the box" tests.
"A Nation at Risk" proposals in 1983 for merit pay for teachers were resisted, and teachers continue to come from the bottom 1/3 of University graduates. The Commission proposes merit pay for new teachers, with an opt-in choice for existing teachers, combined with higher salaries made possible by eliminating pensions and using 401Ks instead, like other professions. Other proposals include universal pre-school, school choice with funding following students, less bureaucracy and more independence for individual schools, adult education coordinated with the business community, and inter-city schools and supporting social services being coordinated under one person, such as the mayor. Finally, partial funding can be found by reducing the number of students in the last 2 years of high school by allowing board testing at the 10th grade, with those passing going to community college then a university, directly to trade school, or directly to work.
I have separately read that having funding follow the student to encourage competition among schools has been implemented successfully at the city level in San Francisco. The Commission shows that if pensions and vacation time are included, current teacher salaries are actually somewhat competitive. But talented young people prefer money now, and don't know that they would stay in teaching long enough to earn a pension. Thus, pension money could be moved to up front salary and portable 401Ks, with existing teachers having the option of opting in or staying with their pensions.
The proposal to coordinate social services with schooling to help the disadvantaged, such as by putting all under a mayor has been done in New York recently, with great success. By providing programs for kids until 5 PM, and help to their families, the disadvantages of a poor home situation can be addressed. The US economy is healthy because of the waves of immigration it has had over the past 15 years, and we can't afford not to train those immigrants so our business have a talented labor pool to draw on.
The board exams proposed at the end of the 10th grade will provide badly needed motivation to students, since they can get out of school earlier if they work harder, rather than marking time.
To cut bureaucracy, the commission proposed principals be given free reign on how to spend the money they get (which is based on the number of students). Also, school boards would not run schools, but would contract with others (such as private companies, groups of teachers, etc.). The school boards would then become performance contract managers.
Finally, the report proposes training of people in the workforce, since these people will be the largest part of our workforce for some time, and will need more advanced and creative skills.
Finally, a comprehensive strategy forward.......2007-02-03
Citing Winston Churchill, who said America always did the right thing after it had exhausted all the alternatives, the New Commission on Skills of the American Workforce calls for a complete overhaul of American education.
Unlike the Commission Report in 1990, which recommended that we improve our high technology skills and accept as inevitable the movement of low-skill jobs to global competitors, the current Commission draws our attention to the fact that we are losing high-skill jobs to global competitors as well. Such losses are projected to grow geometrically if we fail to act with an integrated whole system response.
The Commission recommends a major overhaul of American education to include how we define needs, develop curriculum, attract and retain world class teachers, focus scarce resources, assess stakeholders, and finance public education. All familiar words, I know, but the devil or angel, if you will, is in the details. Let's look at some of the most important.
Noting the poor scores made by U.S. students on international tests and the prospect that we will lose our leadership position in fields that require exemplary abilities in mathematical reasoning; scientific concepts; writing; creativity and innovation; self-discipline and organization; and teamwork, the Commission calls for regional economic development authorities. These authorities would be responsible for coordinating with existing institutions to develop goals and strategies that would serve as guides for local decisions and channel resources where initiatives contributed to the achievement of such goals and strategies.
The Commission calls for significant changes in school governance. School boards and districts would find their role focused on policy making, facilitation of educational networks, operation of support service centers, reporting, and writing performance contracts with those who operate the schools. Schools would be operated by independent contractors and would have complete discretion to determine spending, staffing, calendar, organization and management ---- all subject to the same safety, curriculum, and testing standards as other schools. States would recruit and train teachers; build standard curriculum and assessment agencies; investigate, review and approve networks; contract for special services; and develop statewide schools to serve gifted children.
Teachers would be employed and licensed by the state. Their compensation would shift from current practices, which are back-loaded to emphasize pensions and defined health care benefits, to one which is front-loaded to emphasize cash compensation. Under a front-loaded approach, pay for beginning teachers would be $45,000. Competent academic-year teachers could receive $95,000 and competent calendar-year teachers as high as $110,000. In addition, incentive pay would be paid to teachers willing to teach in remote areas, tough urban areas, and in fields with labor shortages like math, science, language, and special education. The objective of all these changes is to recruit, develop, and retain individuals who had graduated from the top third of their high school graduation classes.
To discover where much of the money is coming from to pay for these changes, you have to examine their recommendation in the area of assessment. Essentially, the Commission wants to shift American education from a system that is time-based to one that is based on merit, using Board Examinations to control progression. They would allow high school students to sit for the initial board examinations at the end of their sophomore year. If they score well enough, they will be allowed to begin a two-year technical training program or to enter a four-year degree program. Those who scored less well would remain to prepare for the second board examination which, when passed, would allow them to attend a state college or university. Neither progression would permit remediation at the next highest level. In short, no one would be allowed to progress unless they are ready and no one would be held back based on a scheme that honors time more than it does competence. The Commission expects this progression scheme to save $67 billion.
In addition to teacher compensation, the Commission would spend part of the savings on high-quality, universal early childhood education for three and four year olds. Supplemental funding would be made available to help schools with high concentrations of disadvantaged students, e.g. screening and diagnosis, tutoring; community involvement, etc. School financing would be a state, rather than a local matter. And the state would use a uniform funding formula that emphasizes equity over equality. New Federal money would be sought to fund interest-bearing Personal Competitiveness Accounts. These accounts would be funded by the Federal government with a $500 deposit at birth and annual contributions made to age 16. The fund would accept tax-free contributions from employers, states, and individuals. From these funds, individuals could draw to improve their education and skills as adults.
Reactions from the educational establishment have been mixed. Predictably, all favor high-quality universal education for three and four year olds and for injections of more money into the educational system. No one, however, wants to support recommendations that would require substantial changes for their membership. The National Education Association (NEA) doesn't want to support the shift in compensation because their current membership favors back-loaded systems. Neither the NEA nor the National School Boards Association wants to give up local funding and operation of schools. Finally, the National Association for College Admission Counseling cautions against using Board Examinations if they are built on the foundation of European models.
All stakeholders need to realize that the situation has deteriorated to such a point that anything less than a major transformation of American education risks being characterized as rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. As the Commission emphasizes, this is not a set of recommendations to be cherry-picked. Instead, they require a thoughtful, soul searching reflection and authentic dialogue to meet the challenges that are quickly coming into view.
It's Time to Put the Professionalism in Teaching.......2007-01-29
While there are some debatable aspects of the TOUGH CHOICES OR TOUGH TIMES report, the call to elevate teaching to the professional level it deserves is certainly long overdue. One problem the report doesn't explicitly mention is that our education system right now is a two-tiered heirarchy in which educrats--the professional ruling class of policymakers, administrators, and midlevel bureaucrats who don't actually teach--wield far too much power and often earn staggering salaries, while teachers are treated like common day-laborers, underpaid and (often) undermined by the flaky, self-serving policies that educrats impose on them.
The report recommends raising teacher salaries to attract the best and brightest, i.e. those who would otherwise be doctors, lawyers, and other ambitious career professionals, by doing away with current teacher-retirement systems in favor of higher up-front cash rewards and 401(k) packages. Astonishingly, the NEA and other powerful teacher unions are opposed to this. But the fact is our schools are failing us, in part, because teachers are not treated like professionals. Yes, there are plenty of attractive benefits to teaching already, like summers off and seniority-based salary schedules. But the trade-off is that many teachers are willing to give up intellectual authority over their profession and allow themselves to be infantilized by condescending educrats. This is a Faustian bargain, and it's time to break it.
If the commission's compensation plan were implemented, more young and bright professionals would be drawn to the classroom, and they'd (hopefully) stay there rather than hopscotching up to an administrative desk job as soon as they could. They would be unafraid to challenge the bad policies of educrats, and they would serve their constituents (the students and their parents) in far more creative and effective ways, because real professionals do not allow themselves to be bullied. Teachers would finally have intellectual authority over their profession, the same way that doctors, lawyers, and other true professionals do. It may mean sacrificing some comfort and standing up to our own unions, but the long-term results would be well worth it. Independence, as we already know, sometimes comes at a high price.
Creativity and Innovation.......2007-01-24
This report, the result of the second Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce in thirty years, represents "the canary in the mine." It is a warning to law makers, educators, students, parents and business people that we must overhaul the American educational system. Emphasis on creativity and innovation needs to be added to student learning and assessment as well as high levels of critical thinking. Instead of pushing toward analysis, teachers need to devise ways in which students can synthesize their learning; for example, thematically combining the content of a World Civ class with scientific breakthroughs. Creativity and innovation is the only way in which we can claim U.S. superiority in the fast approaching future. Countries like India and Japan are already ahead of us. We need to catch up quickly or lose our standing in the world marketplace.
Book Description
The second edition of the highly acclaimed American Accent Training, now on 5 audio CDs, is for foreign-born students and business people working, traveling or studying in the United States and Canada. Through extensive intonation and pronunciation exercises, students learn how to speak with a standard American Accent. At the same time, listening comprehension improves dramatically. Supplementary materials included detailed nationality guides for eight languages (Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Spanish, French, German, Russian and Korean), access to a comprehensive website, and referral to a qualified telephone analyst for an individual diagnostic speech analysis. Also included are colored markers for written exercises, and a mirror to practice accurate pronunciation.
Customer Reviews:
This is it!.......2007-09-16
Great for English-as-a-second-language, or for those who just want to sound more American. American Accent Training is THE tool for developing your American Accent. I am American born, from the Midwest, so I bought it to help me learn how to speak better in my own native tongue. Most people don't realize that there is a unique, distinct accent that is truly American. And, contrary to popular belief, the American Accent once developed will make you sound more intelligent and confident. Most Americans want to learn Spanish or some other foreign language; I say learn your own language first before stumbling into something else!
The American pronunciation building.......2007-09-15
This book is helpful for everybody who is training his or her pronunciation and intonation. It gives you possibilities to master your pronunciation with routine practice when you follow the instructions in the book. The book helps you to hear, understand and build the music of the language. It contains helpful exercises for every sound and intonation stress. The voice and pronunciation on CD are very clear and professional. I enjoy using The American Accent Training guide.
American Accent Training.......2007-09-03
If you are looking for a book to improve your skills with speaking and pronouncing American English, then this is the book for you. The text comes with the CD-ROM that goes through everything written in the book, then provides space for the student to repeat back what has been said if the student is working on his or her own. However, it is also quite useful as a text for in-class work and one-on-one tutoring to help non-native speakers improve their American accent, with the CD-ROM providing supplemental training opportunities for the really motivated student.
The emphasis in Ann Cook's approach is to practice the vocal patterns associated with standard American English, rather than to focus on the exactly correct and distinct pronounciation of each word. In the process, students start sounding more natural to the native speakers around them, thereby increasing the students' confidence in the skills they are learning.
american accent training.......2007-09-01
this book allows me to improve my intonation and accent as like a native
speakers.
Worth for your $$.......2007-08-17
This is something you must have. If you are not a native English speaker and have been looking for a good book. This is the one. I bought so many audio books and did not feel right about it, but this one. So this is really worth for your $$.
Amazon.com
Although primarily a reference text, Pruning & Training is also a stroll through an arboretum, intertwining beautiful and descriptive photographs with explanatory text. If you've ever wondered how a tree, shrub, or vine was trained or formed, this book will explain every how-to for every plant that stirs your experimental side. If you're saddled with an overgrown orchard, poorly maintained landscaping, or heavy frost damage to trees and shrubs, you can renovate them through pruning. Solid background material is provided, including growing habits (and how to take advantage of them), advice on pruning tools, and basic and specialized pruning techniques.
The reference is organized by ornamental trees, fruiting trees, ornamental shrubs, soft fruits, climbing plants, and roses. Each section discusses specialized methods for the subject plant type and includes a plant-by-plant dictionary. With the American Horticultural Society's stamp of approval, you can be sure that Pruning & Training does not neglect pollarding, coppicing, and pleaching. Step by step photographic sequences and before and after shots provide invaluable visual clues. Drawings showing pruning locations frequently feature a silhouette that illustrates the end result of the pruning method. If you'd like to try your hand at espalier or topiary, many training methods are also addressed at length. This is no guide for the casual pruner, but if you want a reference to answer any question you will ever have about the subject, you've found your book. --Molly McElroy
Book Description
Filled with brilliant before-and-after photography, it provides gardeners with complete information on how to create the garden of their dreams.
Customer Reviews:
Informative.......2007-07-08
This book is perfect for someone who wants to understand why pruning techiniques are used and how to get the most out of them. I purchased it so I could predict how my plants would react to what I did to them.
Great help!.......2007-05-12
It provided great help in managing our fruit trees and in helping decide how to take care of future projects!
American Horticultural Society Pruning & Training (American Horticultural Society Practical Guides).......2007-04-03
Excellent reference and fabulous illustrations. Great book to own!!
I use it all the time........2007-03-16
I purchased this book just over a year ago and use it all the time for pruning things like roses, trees, shrubs... pretty much everything.
Lots of great pictures and visual aids help to explain the various pruning techniques.
Got a garden -- get this book.
Much more than academic .......2007-02-21
I have been pruning trees for 30 years (wow), and this is definately the best single source for technical information, and ideas, but it's especially good for its depth & breadth of coverage: a great variety of tree/vine/rose specimens and treatments. The drawings, pictures, sketches are the best I've seen in one presentation. These guys have done it right -- a first class book for the serious gardener!
Book Description
The best source of information related to graduate programs in psychology and provides information related to over 600 graduate psychology programs in the US and Canada. It contains information about the number of applications received by a program, number of individuals accepted in each program, dates for applications and admission, types of information required for an application, in-state and out-of-state tuition costs, availability of internships and scholarships, employment information of graduates, orientation and emphasis of departments and programs, and other relevant information.
Customer Reviews:
Comprehensive, if you can find it..........2007-05-14
I purchased this book to find out which, if any, universities have online PhD programs. This book did not enlighten me. A few easy-reference charts would have made it much more searchable. It would have been great to look at a chart showing at a glance which schools have developmental psychology programs, for instance. If you already know what school you want to attend, the book has a lot of information, including facts such as how many students have dropped out of each program. But don't use this book for your starting point unless you enjoy reading page after page of 6-point font.
Too much.......2007-05-09
This book has too much information if you are interested in a clinical Ph.D. It lists all psychology Ph.D. programs as well as master's programs. I suggest Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology: 2006/2007 Edition (Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical Psychology).
a great help.......2007-04-11
I have found the book to be helpful in narrowing my search for Grad schools. However some issues...
It seems that it would be beneficial to have two separate sections: one for PhD programs and one for Master's only programs. I have to search through page by page to find appropriate schools based on what degree they offer.
Also, the index of the book by specialization is incomplete. It is one of the reasons I bought the book and I was greatly dissapointed. Again, I have spent hours going through the book to look at what schools offer my specialization. They do offer a website to remedy this though.
However, despite the issues, it has been a great help to me and I would definitely recommend it. It does take a long time to look through and it is very time consuming, but the information it contains makes the time worth it.
Great Graduate Handbook.......2007-04-10
This book is great for students who are interested in applying to graduate school. It's exactly what I needed on hand for a quick reference.
Great buyer.......2007-03-10
The book was received in great condition and in excellent time. Recomend to anyone.
Book Description
How to get super strong without training to muscle failure or exhaustionHow to hack into your 'muscle software' and magnify your power and muscle definition How to get super strong without putting on an ounce of weightOr how to build massive muscles with a classified Soviet Special Forces workout Why high rep training to the 'burn' is like a form of rigor mortisand what it really takes to develop spectacular muscle toneHow to mold your whole body into an off-planet rock with only two exercisesHow to increase your bench press by ten pounds overnightHow to get a tremendous workout on the road without any equipmentHow to design a world class body in your basementwith $150 worth of basic weights and in twenty minutes a dayHow futuristic techniques can squeeze more horsepower out of your body-engine How to maximize muscular tension for traffic-stopping muscular definition How to minimize fatigue and get the most out of your strength trainingHow to ensure high energy after your workoutHow to get stronger and harder without getting biggerWhy its safer to use free weights than machinesHow to achieve massive muscles and awesome strengthif thats what you want What, how and when to eat for maximum gainsHow to master the magic of effective exercise variationThe ultimate formula for strengthHow to gain beyond your wildest dreamswith less chance of injuryA high intensity, immediate gratification technique for massive strength gainsThe eight most effective breathing habits for lifting weights The secret that separates elite athletes from 'also-rans'How to become super strong and live to tell about it
Customer Reviews:
Good info on form for two exercises.......2007-08-10
This book gives good descriptions of how to perform the deadlift and the side press. I learned how to deadlift from this book, and a competitive powerlifter in my gym complimented me on my form. (That made my day.) The sections on "hyperirradiation" and breathing techniques are also helpful, and the side press is a good exercise with which to practice them. I find that I can side press an Olympic bar only if I use these techniques.
I can't give this book five stars because the writing style is obnoxious. Tsatsouline is often trying to sell you his other books and products, not only with ads at the back of the book, but in the text of the book itself. An example, on page 62: "Check out 'Beyond Crunches.' In the back of the book, you can order my books and videos. Or else." Also, the "evil Russian" gimmick sometimes pushes the boundaries of good taste. For instance, on p. 28, Tsatsouline writes, "To get strong and hard without getting big--train heavy but do not do many sets. Thus spake Comrade Stalin." I do not want to take strength training advice from one of the greatest villains of the 20th century.
As many of the reviews here have pointed out, the program described in this book is primarily for people who want to gain strength without gaining size. If your primary goal is strength but you're not opposed to getting bigger muscles, you might be happier with Starting Strength. It has some features in common with PTTP: emphasis on compound movements, preference for five-rep sets, and detailed instructions on proper form. It covers five lifts, not just two. It recommends somewhat less frequency (3x / week) and somewhat higher volume (three exercises per session, three work sets on most exercises, thorough warm-up). And the writing style is much better.
very little factual information.......2007-07-27
Pavel is obviously a great athlete, however his books are filled with very little information about anatomy and physiology, and could be condensed into perhaps 10 pages. The Dragon Door marketing machine pushes these type of publications and kettlebells as a fitness revolution. Save your money, instead look at Power of 10, for example, or Ready Set Go Synergy Fitness, which are filled with excellent routines and theory. I own 4 of Pavel's titles and they are essentially empty pages.
A great book.......2007-07-25
Whether you are an experienced weight lifter or not. His advice on the types of lifts you should perform, and those you should avoid, is dead on. His concepts of the use of tension in lifts is something I had never read about until I read this book. He gives good advice on how to use cycling to make gains. Simple workout, easy to follow, and the concepts can be applied to other excercises. The only real downside is that it is very difficult to learn how to do the lifts properly from the book. If you're an experienced weight-lifter you may already know how to deadlift and may be able to figure out the lifts on your own, but if you're new or inexperienced, you'll need to get someone to show you or buy the companion DVD. He has a very entertaining writing style, even if he has the tendency to exagerate. Most of the "Russian Secrets" aren't either. Cycling is not a new concept, used only be eastern bloc supermen, nor is heavy weights at low reps ground breaking. Both have been used by western and eastern lifters alike for who know's how long. The tension stuff is new though, at least to me.
Amusing and refreshing.......2007-07-03
I liked Pavel's book - humorous at times, plenty of anecdotes, and yet a straightforward approach to training that makes the complicated "Men's Health"-type workouts seem even sillier than they already are. It's not the only book you'll ever need to get strong, but in my opinion it's a must-read for those interested in effectively training towards greater strength.
yawn.......2007-02-11
same old pavel..too much advertising hype for his own books, too much laboured Russian humour(?), and not enough meat.There are no strength secrets. Just lift heavier and heavier weights, you will get stronger. Some secret. Is this man built?
Amazon.com
An inside look at the higher wisdom of teamwork from Chicago Bulls' head coach Phil Jackson. At the heart of the book is Jackson's philosophy of mindful basketball -- and his lifelong quest to bring enlightenment to the competitive world of professional sports, beginning with a focus on selfless team play rather than "winning through intimidation".
Sacred Hoops is not just for sports fans, but for anyone interested in the potential of the human spirit.
Book Description
An inside look at the higher wisdom of teamwork from Chicago Bulls' head coach Phil Jackson.At the heart of the book is Jackson'sphilosophy of mindful basketball -- and his lifelong quest to bring enlightenment to the competitive world of professional sports, beginning with a focus on selfless team play rather than "winning through intimidation".Sacred Hoopsis not just for sports fans, but for anyone interested in the potential of the human spirit.
Customer Reviews:
The Warrior's Book!.......2007-05-07
This is one of the best books I have ever read! If you are competitive and like the bulls and have a strong sense of teamwork, this is the best book to read! All I wanted to do was watch the greatest seasons of the Bulls and those amazing playoffs and championships they won!
Michael Jordan meets Zen .......2007-01-04
If you are into spiritual exploration and you love watching basketball then you will find this an amazing book. This book captures beatutifully how you can apply Zen Buddhist philosophies to daily life (although maybe coaching Michael Jordan is not ordinary daily life ...). Especially interesting if you want to understand how you can use Zen Buddhism to stimulate teamwork. Sacred Hoops gave me many ideas on which to reflect. I highly recommend it.
Not just for basketball fans.......2006-08-15
As a yoga instructor and athletic trainer who works with professional athletes, I wish I had found this book sooner. I just read it and plan to reread it again. Amazing. Absolutely thought-provoking. You'll find yourself thinking about this one in the shower, just contemplating Phil's wisdom and how you can apply it to your own life. Anyone considering or presently on a path to spirituality and self awareness--no basketball interest or experience required--should read this book. If you want to gain a better understanding of the value of staying present in the moment, I urge you to pick up this book and let Phil Jackson enlighten you. If I ever decide to lead yoga teacher trainings in the future, this will be required reading! --Dana Edison, author and creator of "Dana Edison's Yoga Is Not One Size Fits All Custom Practice Journal" and audio instruction series.
It brought me peace........2006-03-18
When I was going through a very hard time in my life, my boxing trainer recommended I read this book. I'm not a basketball fan and am not normally into self-help books either. Phil Jackson takes the reader down a spiritual road that overlaps with his career as a professional basketball coach. I've found some of his techniques and philosophies have brought great mental peace to me, while the stories of the professional sports business were interesting and entertaining.
Brutally honest.......2006-03-16
If you like a teaspoon of New Age mumbo jumbo combined with a mustachioed author's psycho-babble, I suggest you check out Star Jones new book. Phil Jackson has had greatness thrust upon him. Michael Jordan, Stacey King, Kobe Bryant, and Shaq are the reason we know his name. Not his Jerry Garcia, Phoenix University degree, dimestore analysis of the spiritual side of coaching and people management. Make him the coach of the Trailblazers and see how great he is.
Book Description
If the Marines are "the few, the proud," Recon Marines are the fewest and the proudest. Nathaniel Fick's career begins with a hellish summer at Quantico, after his junior year at Dartmouth. He leads a platoon in Afghanistan just after 9/11 and advances to the pinnacle—Recon—two years later, on the eve of war with Iraq. His vast skill set puts him in front of the front lines, leading twenty-two Marines into the deadliest conflict since Vietnam. He vows to bring all his men home safely, and to do so he'll need more than his top-flight education. Fick unveils the process that makes Marine officers such legendary leaders and shares his hard-won insights into the differences between military ideals and military practice, which can mock those ideals. In this deeply thoughtful account of what it's like to fight on today's front lines, Fick reveals the crushing pressure on young leaders in combat. Split-second decisions might have national consequences or horrible immediate repercussions, but hesitation isn't an option. One Bullet Away never shrinks from blunt truths, but ultimately it is an inspiring account of mastering the art of war.
Customer Reviews:
Real simple.......2007-09-08
Want to know the what it's like to be an junior Officer? The loneliness, the NCO's you rely on, the men, the idiots above you? Read this. A simultaneous must read is Evan Wright's Generation Kill. Identical time amd place seen from two very different perspectives.
Very Well Written.......2007-09-03
In addition to excellent content, this is a very readable book and Nate Fick compactly explains things about military life and the warrior ethos that aren't well understood outside the military. A couple page glossary of military abbreviations would be a welcome addition though.
Excellent and thought provoking.......2007-08-18
Most of my Amazon reviews deal with grilling, but I felt compelled to give my opinion. Nathaniel Fick is welcome to dine on steak or some pulled pork at my home any time he visits Bloomington, Indiana. The book is wonderfully written. He skillfully balanced descriptions of the people, events and emotions he encountered during his tour with the USMC. He did not rely on the tool of describing the technology of modern warfare to impress his reader. He is no Tom Clancy and I found this to be refreshing.
I went to his website and read an number of articles and reviews he has published since completing this book. He makes a number of astute observations on politics, the war, and the state of our nation. I hope to see more from him soon.
Nate: 2020?.......2007-08-15
Enough praise has already been heaped and another 5-star review won't change a 5-star average. A few hopefully new comments:
- Frick allows critical details of his personal life to trickle out in undeclared intimations; e.g., he's probably Catholic and probably had a girlfriend. The story would have meant more to me if I'd known exactly who was speaking. The narrative does a decently indirect job of this, but I wonder how many scenes were left out that could have showed us more of who he is?
- Why does that matter? Well, not to be a jaded 40-something who grew up in a very political environment, but I cannot imagine a clearer statement of intent to run for office. Let's see... Military hero? Check. Exposure of sensitive side? Check. Willingness to put in the hours? Check. Ability to lead others? Check. Ability to turn a phrase? Check. Empathy with the common man? Check.
I have nothing against the idea and I'd probably even vote for him. I'm just surprised nobody else has noticed this... And perhaps the explanation to my first comment is cleared up by the observation of the second.
A rare view of the USMC.......2007-08-11
Nathaniel Fick tells an interesting story from an unusual perspective. How many books can you find written about the experiences of a Marine Corps officer in war? A fair handful. How many such books can you find written by an articulate liberal arts major? Maybe just this one.
The author's educated perspective on the Marine Corps perfectly underlines the amazing strengths and the maddening weakness of the Marine Corps, depicting that certain je ne sais quois those in or around the Marines understand and critics never see.
He manages to illustrate his respect for the Marines and his mission while still exposing the stupidity of military bureaucracy, showing clearly that the good or evil possible with our military forces can really boil down to a good person or a fundamentally bad person in charge of a lowly combat platoon.
If you want a thoughtful perspective on the USMC or the opening days of the war in Iraq, this book is up your alley.
Book Description
Esalen has always been on the edge. Famous for its natural hot springs and stunning locale on the face of the Pacific coastline, the institute has long been a world leader in alternative and experiential education. Such luminaries as Henry Miller, Joseph Campbell, Aldous Huxley, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Hunter S. Thompson, and others have gathered there to develop their revolutionary ideas, transformative spiritual practices, and innovative art forms.
Jeffrey Kripal here recounts the spectacular history of Esalen and its birth in the American counterculture. Forged in the literary and mythical leanings of the Beat Generation, inspired in the lecture halls of Stanford by radical scholars of comparative religion, the institute was the remarkable brainchild of Michael Murphy and Richard Price. Set against the heady backdrop of California during the revolutionary 1960s, Esalen recounts in fascinating detail how these two maverick thinkers sought to fuse the spiritual revelations of the East with the scientific revolutions of the West, or to combine the very best elements of Zen Buddhism, Western alchemy, and Indian yoga—particularly in its Tantric forms—into a decidedly utopian vision that rejected the dogmas of conventional religion. In their religion of no religion, the natural world was just as crucial as the spiritual one, science and faith not only commingled but became staunch allies, and the enlightenment of the body—through self-enhancement and, yes, free love—could lead to the full realization of our development as human beings.
Darwin, Tantric sex, cold war physics, psychedelic drugs, golf, and, of course, religion all come into play in a book that can only be described as monumental. Esalen is a prehistory of our nation’s current fascination with Eastern religions, our steadily growing acceptance of the supernatural in everyday life—and a surprising page-turner.
Customer Reviews:
Primal Primates Screaming.......2007-07-05
I always thought you could really have a good time at Esalen if you didn't have to wake up Monday morning and teach a group of kids that were living in poverty and who needed a half way coherent, not so self-involved person to figure out what we are going to be doing this week. Hot tub or not I always have to be good to go on a Monday morning. And despite the proximity no one ever rolled over from finding themselves on the coast to lend a hand. But the people involved really influenced me, I'm a Maslow influenced Gestaltist for sure.
But certainly over my years in Monterey County and over the 25 some years in California I've had as interesting a look at this place and what it symbolizes as I also lived my life about 6 inches left of the poverty line. I took a couple hours reading this at Nepenthe, a bookstore and restaurant on Big Sur I like to visit, and noted to self I have to get the book again out of the library sometime, or breakdown and order it. Hefty. Sometime. From what I read and enjoyed it's "got it all". With a lot to get. Remarkable history.
"Esalen Institute exists to promote the harmonious development of the whole person. It is a learning organization dedicated to restricted exploration of the human potential, and resists religious, scientific and other dogmas except for gestalt psychotherapy, which permeates all levels of the community based staff and business model. It fosters theory, practice, research, and institution-building to facilitate personal and social transformation and, to that end, sponsors seminars for the general public; invitational conferences; research programs; residencies for artists, scholars, scientists, and religious teachers; work-study programs; and semi-autonomous projects.
- Michael Murphy, Chairman, Esalen Board of Trustees, Esalen Institute Statement of Purpose" from Wiki of course
I just returned from a trip up to Monterey and back down the Big Sur coast. Last Thursday my husband came home and said he rented a couple nights in a cabin in Pacific Grove so everyone get a bag, get your stuff and get in the car for a fast track through your life.(I mentioned a few months ago I wanted a cabin week in Big Sur but it was hard to get on a whim-going hopefully in August for that) Because when I go back to this place actually I'm revisiting/processing/reordering my mind around 25 years of my life during which time I had three babies, heart attack, had one child have a serious operation, lost another, visiting where I got very ill with undiagnosed syringomyelia and cancer, had my Mom be placed in my care, taught in Greenfield in another world of Migrant farm laborer children learning of their poverty and the very real hard life for some in our world where I felt alien and alone everyday,learned to teach, went into debt with medical bills that covered mistakes made and the illness, husband gone every night in Master's and PHD, my two Masters, enjoyed mothering and feared, and finally escaped every weekend to Big Sur, Monterey, Pacific Grove where I got married in 86, to festivals, woods, Aquariums,concerts, shops, scenes, walks, drives, hikes, beaches, ocean life, pumpkin farms, tree planting, activism, love and angers, growing up, to find musician friends, artists, and to find ultimately home there. Until the day a week out of a hospital my husband went suddenly and without any real notice to a new job that popped up in Southern CA and I moved us away 8 months pregnant with my son.. So it was a trip to remember from now to then. The whole of it all.
And this really has everything to do with Esalen and this book actually and this trip. On the way back home I asked we drive Big Sur.I can't drive a bit too ill, in too much pain to do much at all at the moment.It's amazing I do what I do actually. It's long and it is tiring but the views are just incredible. And I wanted to see it.Wanted the kids to see it with me. But three kids in a car, lots of life, memories, fears, feelings, joys, hurts were all inside the spaces too. Crammed in having grown up and either gotten bigger or more covert and requiring separation/space or maybe, therapies. But still jammed into this car ride playing this is your life freestyle. As I've lived. An interesting journey. That's my life. And the search for meaning in a car ride on the face of a cliff on a birthday winding through the edge of America perched up on a cliff face defying gravity went on. But getting jarred around in awareness of how we weren't fitting this car anymore, I think triggered something. Actually I think the place is mystical and will always hand you your karma. It does me anyway. My kids are almost all adults.
So we were driving and I got seriously disproportionally irritated. Might only be fatigue with age. i find I can't crawl over the rocks anymore which bums me out. My request to stop and shoot some pictures was rebuffed hard, it was my birthday too with all the things that triggers. I got mocked for that observation with the 'drama queen' comment I find hard to overlook, it's truth secondary. And when I insisted we stop the car it was lunged over by a now furious and also exhausted spouse. We both stepped out of the car and screamed a world of thoughts. Mostly related to accommodating the other. I rarely do that, if ever. And more interesting it gets just eaten up on the mountain. And seems to be as insignificant as anything ever could be. Literally dampened into dust. That struck me as very interesting. Just Primal Scream 101. Quite the rage into the sea. My daughter stepped out and said, "I need to scream too." And she did. Looking over at me with her sage look. Oh.
Grow up parent. Lots going on here with this cancer.
So we got in the car. And drove a minute and there around the bend was the entrance to Esalen.
But I'd already re-invented the therapy so we felt way better, had lifted our spirits in self-indulgence and spent a little time planning out rock painting and fish window glass stained glasslike banners our lessons for the upcoming week. And a million other projects on the fire. But my daughter asked for this book at this moment to learn more about Esalen/Feynman , our home and this seems the one to get. She's going down to Cal Tech soon and I might as well arm her with this as a going away present.........
comment.......2007-06-27
Please do not ask me to review books. I don't believe in reviews anyway and am an atheist so my comments about a book would not be relevant to the average reader. As an illustration of my comments, I refer to the book:"Esalen." I think it misses the mark on Esalen as went there for thinking subjects and not religious ones. The book emphasizes the religious aspect of Esalen, which I was not interested in. I know that it uses the phrase: " The Religion of no Religion" but anti-religion is also a religion. John
You had to be there!.......2007-06-27
Mr. Kripal is a fastidious researcher and those of us who spent time at Esalen in the early 70's appreciate the details and background that, looking back, fill in the blank spaces. I first arrived at Esalen with the rising sun and my first vision of paradise was a girl in the vegetable garden wearing only her long blonde hair and her California tan. We had come to teach yoga and one of us had just landed the night before at San Fransisco International for his first visit to the US from a life spent in a traditional Indian Ashram. It took all of our persuasive powers to convince him that this was the Garden of Eden and not Dante's Inferno. By that afternoon he was with us sharing a hot tub and succumbing to the magic that was Esalen. We stayed originally with Richard Price in the Big House and got to do Tai Chi each morning with Al Huang. Life was glorious and I'm grateful to have the memories of those days, still fresh and exciting, to revisit.
Unacknowledged Cultural Incubator -- Esalen Institute.......2007-06-14
Kripal, Jeffrey J. (2007). Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion. University of Chicago Press. xiv + 573 pages. Includes bibliography and index. Cloth and paper.
I always like to see a topic that interests me embedded in a larger context. A wider context describes how the topic of my interest (psychedelics in this case) fits into historical events and into a more global collection of ideas (the human potential movement, in Esalen). By following the movement of ideas and people through Esalen Institute, Kripal constructs an intellectual and personal history of the Esalen as one spring whose waters both nourished and reflected the 60's, but more than that, of the 70s, 80s, 90's and 21st Century too.
He readily alerts readers that his story must omit some items that others would deem important, and that his organizing ideas track his attention to selected Esalen events. His four organizing idea-themes are: the religion of no religion (alternately, the religion of all religions), altered states of history, the tantric transmission, and the enlightenment of the body. "Esalen," as he describes it, "has dedicated itself to the fusing or synthesizing of the spiritual and scientific, of wonder and reason, of what an academic might call the humanities and the sciences." (page 13). He recognizes these significant aspects of Esalen, rather than the misleading garden of delights for hippies and upper middle class hangers-on that the popular press dwells on.
By tracking Esalen people as a history, Kripal gives not only a history of the place, but also a history of the human potential movement. Esalen combines both an adventurous think tank and a location for experiments in human interactions, where mind and body were not separated, but used to enhance each other. The leading character of the book is Michael Murphy, one of Esalen's founders and the only person appearing consistently throughout the book. While I expected Kripal's chapter-long discussions of Murphy's books to be dully laudatory, if not outright boring, I found his discussion of them an intriguing way to see Murphy's thinking and Esalen's activities as harmonious.
Readers on this list will be especially interested in two chapters on psychedelics' early days at Esalen and the chapter on Stan and Christina Grof, both for the psychedelic points and for displaying how psychedelics form part of the tantric transmission and enlightenment of the body. In the earlier chapter, Huxley, Watts, Leary, and Native American use of psychedelics appear as parts of a larger textile that wove together threads from Eastern religions, physical development routines, discoveries about the human body and brain, unusual abilities, and innovative forms of psychotherapy and growth techniques.
In the chapter that focuses on the Grofs, we see how their interests grew beyond psychedelics to include Eastern religions and developing ways to help people through spiritual crises. Kripal makes the surprising insight that Freud's idea of the unconscious as a cesspool of fear, lust, and destruction was, in fact, useful to the human potential movement because its main assumption is that we are not aware of much of our minds. But there is more to our unconscious than what Freud saw, so his work is primarily important not for what he specifically found about our minds, but because he set Western psychology looking for more, and some of what we've discovered forms part of the neglected human potential.
Besides psychedelics, other mindbody threads woven into the Esalen tapestry include aspects of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Western religions; meditation, dreamwork, hypnosis, and additional altered-states psychotechnologies; aikido, breathing routines, Rolfing, massage, the martial arts, and other body-based growth; mythology, Jungian, humanistic psychology, transpersonal psychology, psychic phenomena, and additional intellectual approaches; Gestalt, encounter, family therapy, and group processes; influences on education, medicine, and even international relations -- the list goes on. Like a venture capital group that discovers, researches, and develops ideas for companies, Esalen explores and tries out ideas and practices for human growth. All of these --like Murphy's books Jacob Atabet and The Future of the Body--are examined as clues for the possible next stages of human evolution.
While most books to me would be twice as good if they were half as long, I was relieved to find Esalen's 468 pages of primary text a good read. I kept on reading "just one more section". Part of this goes to Kripal's ability to express ideas -- often flavored with his own perspective on his ideas -- entertaining and insightful. The chapter notes and list of resources confirm the depth of his research and are rich leads for others to follow.
After distracting, inaccurate, and exaggerated reports in the popular media during the 60s and subsequently, Kripal's Esalen counteracts press sensationalism. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise: shallow news reporters found shallowness at Esalen; deeper thinkers find deeper ideas and ideals. As a professor of religious studies at Rice University, Kripal sees Esalen as "one of America's most sophisticated mystical expressions." (page 24). That is, Esalen documents the spiritual quest for the fullest human fulfillment, and Kripal points out it is a combined mind-plus-body task.
Psychedelicists, who share a sense of unity and oneness, will see Esalen as fostering these directions, as mentioned above "dedicated itself to the fusing or synthesizing of the spiritual and scientific, of wonder and reason, of what an academic might call the humanities and the sciences." (page 13). Esalen, the book, does good service of setting the record straight about Esalen, the Institute.
No One Captures the Flag!.......2007-04-21
I was fortunate enough to have spent this past weekend at Esalen picked up a copy of Jeffrey Kripal's book and I could not put it down! This book is a must read for those wanting to know more about this amazing place and it's impact on American culture and the future of the planet. Esalen: America and The Religion of No Religion chronicles the history of an unique experiment conceived by two visionary men, Michael Murphy and Richard Price. Esalen is one of a kind place that sits at the edge of the American frontier both geographically and intellectually. The land and it's hot springs have a long history as a place of ceremony and healing for the Esselen Indians and other indigenous people who lived there for thousands of years. In 1910, Dr. Henry Murphy, Michael's grandfather, purchased the property to make the curative waters of the hotspring available for his patients. It is on this magical land that the Esalen Institute now resides. The list of people who have visited and taught there over the years is a veritable who's who of some of the greatest minds of the 20th Century. It is a place that has a history of encouraging intellectual and spiritual diversity and different approaches to exploring the full range of human potential. Esalen has been and continues to be one of the most important cultural and spiritual centers of the world that is dedicated to the exploration of human possibilities. We live in world that is in desperate need of a vision of a positive future. Esalen is a place where this vision is likely to emerge.
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- Singled Out: How Singles are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After
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