Product Description
In a book that cleverly combines baseball and philosophy, Ray Belliotti points to the uncanny connections between nine baseball greats and the great thinkers of the West. This book offers a very practical application of Western philosophy by examining these icons of American sport and culture. The intensity and single-mindedness of Ted Williams breathes life into Camus' Sisyphus; Billy Martin's maniacal competitiveness recalls Niccolo Machiavelli's take on politics, which he characterized as a zero-sum game; the homespun philosophy of Satchel Paige echoes the wisdom of Marcus Aurelius; and the many facets of Joe DiMaggio's personality cry out for the resolution that Nietzsche's doctrine of perspectivism might have given. Also covered are the connections between Joe Torre and Aristotle; Jackie Robinson and Antonio Gramsci; Mickey Mantle and St. Thomas Aquinas; John Franco and William James; and Jose Canseco and Immanuel Kant. The book offers a very practical application of Western philosophy by examining these icons of American sport and culture. ... Read more

Product Description
This text challenges students to examine how to respond to moral issues and dilemmas in sport. The book includes philosophic theory that has proven effective in the moral development of athletes.The theory is balanced with applications and thought-provoking questions.Each chapter provides a historical and sociological perspective on the issues facing youth, interscholastic, intercollegiate, Olympic, and professional sport. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Sport Ethics: Applications for Fair Play
I agree that this paper back book should not be priced so high.Maybe if itwere a hard cover.

This book is way to expensive for the contents.
This book is way too expensive.My bookstore at college charged me $50.00, and this is also grossly unfair.The information is worthy;however, I dont' see how this book is worth that much with only 202 pageson Sport Ethics.For this much money, I should be reading the same bookthat an attorney might use. ... Read more

Product Description
This exciting new study explores ethical dilemmas in the relationship between sporting performance, sports medicine and the health of the athlete.The author argues that global processes of commercialization and professionalization within contemporary sport have magnified the demands for increased levels of bodily performance, and that the commodification of sporting performance has influenced the balance between risk, pain and injury in sport. Drawing on cutting-edge ethnographic case-studies, including elite rugby union and the Paralympic Games, the author develops a new theory of the link between medicine, the body and culture, and asks whether the athlete or the administrator has more control over the body of the sportsperson. ... Read more

Product Description
Fred Engh examines the poor state of youth sports in America, explains why the system has been perverted by a need-to-win mentality, and documents the negative roles that parents, coaches, and administrators often play in young athletes' lives. He then provides a variety of proven solutions that can help put fun back in the game. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

BOYS BECOMING GIRLS
FEELINGS are more important than PERFORMANCE
WHAT?
In Sports, competition is natural. Competition makes you stronger.

- If you aren't good enought to be on an All-Star team, practice more, try harder, learn to learn and improve yourself.

Have fun. Try hard. Do your best.

Great Book Concept
In my opinion more books like these are needed, because kids need to be encouraged rater than discouraged.I agree with the reviewer below.Also recommended: "Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Your Nonprofit Corporation" by Ms. Cellaneous, The Unknown Attorney--Another book dealing with kids sports clubs but from a legal perspective.

Why Johnny Hates Sports
Every adult who has anything to do with coaching sports should be made to read this book. Every parent who puts their child into sports should be made to read this book. It is that important a book and the issue of violence in children's sporting events is growing even in light of recent violent episodes that have left a man dead. Far too many adults are pushing their children to succeed so much that the word "fun" has no connection whatsoever to do with playing sports.

To the point
Sports is an important topic in many families and schools in the USA and abroad. Engh takes a courageous position and that is to say, we, as parents and amateur coaches have twisted the idea of organized sports competitionand made it into a grueling exercise for its innocent victims: ourchildren. Engh rightly points out that parents and ignorant coaches who usetheir amateur leadership position to wrongly influence our children as towhat fair sportsmanship is all about. Engh points out that"winning" has unfortunately become the Holy Grail of youthcompetition. I'd rather prefer what I heard one Chinese table tennischampion say a few years back, "Winning is temporary, friendship ispermanent." You only have to attend a local sports event or pick up anewspaper to hear about the tragic ways children are exposed to bickeringparents, foul-mouthed opponents, loud mouth fans, unrewarded referees. Enghplaces himself in a vulnerable position to put the spotlighht on the verypeople he is asking to support his organization nationwide: the coaches,schools, youth organizations and parents.In youth sports, the child issupposed to come first, like it was in sandlot baseball and other sports inthe past. But now "the organization" comes first, and corporatesponsors. children in youth sports have become a commodity. I wouldn't besurpised if some youth organizations try to ban his book because it exposessome of the politics, in-fighting and complete insensitivity that exists inyouth sports today. There are many good, sensitive parents and singlepersons who are engaged in helping youth sports. I hope everyone of thembuys a couple dozen of Engh's book and distributes them to their locallibraries. Good luck, Mr. Engh ! We hope your book enlightenens the nextperson who comes along planning to use an amateur coach position orparent-fan to fullfill his or her unrealized dreams of athletic greatness.H T White

To the point
Sports is an important topic in many families and schools in the USA and abroad. Engh takes a courageous position and that is to say, we, as parents and amateur coaches have twisted the idea of organized sports competitionand made it into a grueling exercise for its innocent victims: ourchildren. Engh rightly points out that parents and ignorant coaches who usetheir amateur leadership position to wrongly influence our children as towhat fair sportsmanship is all about. Engh points out that"winning" has unfortunately become the Holy Grail of youthcompetition. I'd rather prefer what I heard one Chinese table tennischampion say a few years back, "Winning is temporary, friendship ispermanent." You only have to attend a local sports event or pick up anewspaper to hear about the tragic ways children are exposed to bickeringparents, foul-mouthed opponents, loud mouth fans, unrewarded referees. Enghplaces himself in a vulnerable position to put the spotlighht on the verypeople he is asking to support his organization nationwide: the coaches,schools, youth organizations and parents.In youth sports, the child issupposed to come first, like it was in sandlot baseball and other sports inthe past. But now "the organization" comes first, and corporatesponsors. children in youth sports have become a commodity. I wouldn't besurpised if some youth organizations try to ban his book because it exposessome of the politics, in-fighting and complete insensitivity that exists inyouth sports today. There are many good, sensitive parents and singlepersons who are engaged in helping youth sports. I hope everyone of thembuys a couple dozen of Engh's book and distributes them to their locallibraries. Good luck, Mr. Engh ! We hope your book enlightenens the nextperson who comes along planning to use an amateur coach position orparent-fan to fullfill his or her unrealized dreams of athletic greatness.H T White ... Read more

Product Description
As youth sports continue to grow, parent’s expectations and demands continue to build.Coaches are asked by parents to help develop their children into college and professional athletes, yet at times behavior and respect take a back seat.

The head coach of any level of athletics sets the tone, philosophy, and attitudes within his team. Coaching Kids to Become Winners in Life - Through Sports was written to help coaches develop a successful program and teach kids to win in life through sports.

It is believed, all those that coach – initially – enter that position with the correct intent and desire to help kids.However, the pressure, often self imposed, sometimes added by kids, parents and situations, often change the perspective of the coach.

Information shared in this book will help the coach maximize the enjoyment and development of all youth athletes that he/she has accepted the responsibility to coach – FOR ANY SPORT.

BONUS - Order now and also get FREE - Establishing a Winning Philosophy - a must read for any coach! ... Read more

Product Description
From the "chop-sockey" kung-fu epics on the big screen to practices like tae kwon do at local community centers, the martial arts have become a major phenomenon in Western culture. In On the Warrior’s Path, author Daniele Bolelli examines the central figure in this trend: the warrior. Bolelli, himself a martial artist, looks at every facet of the warrior lifestyle, from the unbreakable tenacity of the Japanese swordsman to the contemplative practices of the mysterious warrior monks of China. Drawing from both classical and popular sources of warrior culture, Bolelli shows what it takes to inhabit this singular role, along the way making surprising connections between martial arts and psychedelic culture, basketball, American Indian society, surfing, Star Wars, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Interesting Book on Warriors
Although this book was not exactly what I had hoped for, it did contain many pearls of wisdom and interesting information on warriors and the warrior lifestyle. It concentrates more on the philosophy behind the warrior arts, which is something that I enjoy reading. Overall, I enjoyed the book. On the Warrior's Path covers a variety of topics which are of value to anyone interested in martial arts or martial arts philosophy. It is obvious that Daniele Bolelli is someone who knows his subject well, and someone who I would enjoy chatting with over a cup of tea. This book is worth your time. You will pull more than enough wisdom from this book to wet your thirst for more. It is very reasonably priced and well written. Mr. Bolelli has done a very nice job with this book and I highly recommend it if you are at all interested in martial arts.

Bohdi Sanders, author of Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior

What I've always known, now in print
As a professional martial artist, I am preparing to teach a university course in philosophy and religion within the martial arts. After reviewing many books, I must say that the principles contained within this work makes it my favorite! It is what I have always hoped to make my martial arts practice, and now there are words for all that mystic stuff I pursue. It answers so many questions pragmatically about what the real warrior path is.

Darryl Clark, PhD

Bolelli nails it
A marvelous book. Bolelli makes print feel like a lecture. His veiwpoints are refreshingly clear and well-thought-out as he delves into the warrior's path from the past into the modern world. His passion is quite inherent in his creation. A little scattered at times but that is to be expected considering the subject matter. Again a marvelous book.

the mythical triad
Finally, in Bolelli we have someone who understands the lovers of martial arts and sees a greater purpose beyond the fight. This is a warm, insightful book by a man who is clearly a human and a poet as well as a warrior.

However, his poeticism does have its downfall. About 1/3 of the paragraphs in this book I skimmed over because he does tend to lose control in his writing style, wasting many pages with florid prose and tripping over the beauty of his own words.

Also, his historical understanding of certain figures like Musashi and the ninja are just as sorely misinformed as the media- and movie-slaves he speaks out against. Of course, this is a minor detail as Bolelli's work is not intended as a historical or factual guide. I only mention it here so that you might keep an eye out and not take his word as law.

And maybe his translation into English is the source of my discomfort, but he's got a strange sense of humor that I have to forgive in order to get to the meat of his ideas.

The most valuable part of the book that sticks out is his idea of the mythical triad of the classic hero's story: the warrior, the dragon, and the princess. All the philosophy in this book you can find in greater detail elsewhere; all the connections to modern-day practice you can find within yourself. But this one particular essay synthesizes the idea of harmony--between conflict, the overcoming that conflict, and what comes afterwards--in an accessible way that I haven't seen before. For that essay alone this book is worth buying.

Narrowly achieved three stars
On the Warrior's Path is an interesting introduction into the philosophy of martial arts. There are several worthy sections of this book, like the description of a handful of martial art archetypes - (I am a ninja, while my wife is a samurai.) However, the message is disjointed and without a cohesive direction. To be sure, the Warrior's Path is a meandering one. It seemed to me that the author was reluctant to commit to an opinion on much of anything. He would rather acknowledge all points of view and waffle on his own opinion. Often there is a hint of opinion, but it is fleeting. And, as in so many martial arts books, the ego of the author rears its ugly head. (Why do advanced practitioners often forget the lesson of humility?)

The book does offer some food for thought, if you are willing to wade through the sometimes verbose ramblings. ... Read more

Product Description
A tai chi chuan practitioner for over 20 years, Lee covers the history and philosophy of the art, general principles of movement, the solo exercises, push-hands sparring, applications, tai chi weapons and more. Fully illustrated. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Self learning Tai Chi
This is the only one book I know, you can really learn by your self Tai Chi step by step, I've been exersicing it by 30 years.
When I begun, in Chile, my country the Tai Chi was unknown. This book made it possible for me to catch the Tai Chi.

Beginner: Good Intro to Tai Chi; Advanced:Good study guide
Mr. Lee's introduction to the underlying philosophy and practice of Tai Chi help provide a very good foundation for the beginner and advanced student alike.This foundation should be applicable regardless of the style of Tai Chi you seek to learn.I've seen such an introduction in only one other text, Wen Shan Huang's _Fundamental's of Tai Chi Ch'uan_.Although I did not use this book to learn the Long Yang form, my teacher, fellow students and I have used it as a study guide in learning the Tai Chi Sword, Tai Chi Broadsword (knife), and the Two person "Eight-Eight".We have other texts, and use this as a good comparison text.Also, though we do not use ranking in our school, Mr. Lee reviews a workable ranking system for the schools that prefer such classification. ... Read more

Product Description
The issues surrounding ethical controversies in sport have filled the media recently. This book of invited original essays by mainstream philosophers as well as philosophers of sport will provide the reader with a discussion in ethics and sport based on a sound philosophical footing. It will be accessible to a wide range of teachers and students in the field of sport and leisure studies. Contributions from international, highly regarded experts in the fIeld provide the reader with systematic treatment of the ethics of sport from a diverse perspective. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

A Philosophic inquiry on Sport
Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Concern for excellence
2 The attraction of athletes
3 The challenge of the body
4 Dedicated men
5 The equipped body
6 Health
7 The athlete in action
8 The athlete in action: endurance, strength, accuracy, coordination
9 Play, sport, and game
10 The game
11 The urge to win
12 Ameteurs and professionals
13 Women athletes
14 The standardization of sport
15 A metaphysical excursus

Great read
This book is a great read from start to finish. Weiss takes a conceptnever before written upon, and delves completely into it. He starts off sosimply so as not to lose the reader even with one single assumption. Acredit to Weiss' diligence and persistence. He does not miss a singlething.

Although a little out of date by todays standards, it is still agood basis with which anyone writing or reading about sports philosophyshould start. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (20)

Enlightening
Great book! Carrill's thoughts on life and basketball. Love quote from his father "The strong will always take from the weak. But the smart always take from the strong." Great words to live by... enjoy!

Sage advice from a crafty old coach
I don't agree with everything Coach Carril espouses in this book, but there is no doubt that he is wise teacher, an experienced competitor, and a successful coach.

It is an interesting read for the fan and coach alike. Coach Carril is an observer both of athletics, education and life and it shows in his book.

An interesting read.

Kevin Sivils - author of Game Strategy and Tactics for Basketball
Game Strategies and Tactics for Basketball: Bench Coaching for Success

The Smart take from the strong
Company that I got the book from was quick and book

was in excellent condition.

Interesting look into the thoughts of the originator of the Princeton style of play.More philosophical than I thought it would be. I thought it would explain more about how he built the offense than it did.

An Entertaining Basketball Mind
This book took a while to warm up to. At least, it did for me.

The Smart Take from the Strong is a collection of legendary Princeton coach Pete Carril's thoughts on the game. As the title might suggest, Coach Carril views success in an entirely different light than someone like Rick Pitino would. Princeton's athletes bring one advantage to the court every game, and it's the same advantage they bring to the classroom - they're ambitious and smart as hell.

So, it falls to an Ivy League coach to fill those brains with perceptive strategies and tactics that can even the playing field against taller, stronger, faster, more athletic teams. Carril not only did that, but gave his Tiger teams the emotional toughness to hang in to the final buzzer. It was a combo that led to a 65% win percentage, 13 Ivy titles, 11 NCAA bids, and an NIT championship. Pete ended his career on a high note, upsetting the defending national champs of UCLA in the 1996 tourney in his last collegiate game as head coach.

So, the guy has a lot to say. And the only reason I took a while to warm up to it is because I went in looking for something specific. My interest was more tactical, and the first seventy or so pages of the book were general observations, like this one: "Wherever fast players go, they get there faster than slow players". Funny, but not particularly enlightening.

But I'm happy to report that there's something for everyone in this slim paperback. Around page 90, I began to read sections with titles like "Zone vs. Man-to-Man" and "Defending the Pivot". Yeah. That was more like it.

What I found most interesting was the fact that Carril made a 29-year college career out of dredging as much as he could out of smart and unathletic players, and then turned around and did the opposite. He joined the NBA and taught his Princeton system to players who had all the natural talent in the world, but more often than not, were not Mensa candidates. Talk about being adaptable.

It helps, while reading this book, to go back to the front cover and look at Carril; imagine him saying everything you're reading. Here's an irascible, tough, 5'6" garden gnome in a bow tie telling you how it's going to be on a basketball court. I strongly suspect I could sit and listen to ol' Pete talk for hours if ever given the chance. It has to be a hoot. Case in point: discussing one of his hot-shooting players, Carril says "We called him 'Molasses', because he wasn't the fastest guy around. That was a nickname we used for a lot of players at Princeton." Ha!

Short story long: this book has no narrative structure. It can be set on the bedside table and read in small chunks without a deep time investment. For anyone who wants to understand the mind that gave us the Princeton offense, or find reality-based inspiration for facing overwhelming odds, this book has it all. It's right around 200 pages, so it's an easy read. And, if you find yourself in need of an even quicker fix than that, Pete ends the book with his list of Twenty-five Things to Remember.

Put it on your summer reading list, Einstein.

Nuggets of Knowledge
This is one of those books that all basketball coaches should have and make available to their players... a la Phil Jackson. In fact, I recommend buying two copies one that you can lend out to your players or take on road trips for quick reading and one for you.
The beauty of it is that the book isn't designed to read in a couple of sittings but rather to be placed nearby on a night stand or on your desk so when you have short segments of time available for reading you can cherry pick different parts or topics covered by Carril. I find the book a valuable asset both in season and out of season and always gets me thinking up new ideas or reinforcing old ones.

I would compare it to the series of books by Dick DeVenzio though I believe that DeVenzio's books provide just a touch more. ... Read more

Product Description
How will sport keep pace with current scientific and biological advances?
Is the possibility of the 'bionic athlete' that far away and is this notion as bad as it might first appear?
Is our fascination with sport winners fascistoid? Questions such as these and many others are posed and examined by the contributors to this volume. Some are sceptical of future developments in sport and demand radical reforms to halt progress, others are more optimistic and propose that sport should adapt to new advances just as other realms of the cultural sphere have to.
Some of the topics examined here, such as the genetic engineering of athletes, and the significance of the public's fascination with sport winners, are being discussed for the first time, whilst others such as sex segregation, nationalism and doping are being revisited and reintroduced onto the agenda after a period of suggestive silence.
This book provides the reader with a deep insight into the moral and ethical value we place on sport in today's society. Challenging and demanding, its contributors urge us to think again about current sports practices and the future of sport as a cultural phenomenon. ... Read more

Product Description
This collection of essays explores a number of issues, primarily concerned with value, which might arise from the study and practice of sport. Although predominantly sociological, the text emphasizes the diversity possible within both approaches or methodologies and topics within legitimate studies of sport: thus, some chapters should be seen as philosophy, others as politics, yet others as policy studies. There is a context set throughout by the claims and activities of the Olympic movement, which often provide key examples. The topics considered include: sport and nationalism; anti-doping policy and Olympianism; the context of sports policy in the UK and in Germany; and amateurism and professional sport. ... Read more

Product Description
This book argues that cheating destroys the integrity of sports, athletes, and coaches. It examines major topics such as performance-enhancing substances, negative impact of marketers, and accountability. What we need in society is more character and less emphasis on winning. We need less disruption of what athletics should be about and, therefore, the sports supplement industry cannot be allowed to corrupt the minds of athletes or their coaches. This requires having coaches with integrity. It requires commitment from all others involved, particularly the sports nutritionists, the trainers, and the medical profession to not allow the use of any performance- enhancing substance. This book speaks to these points with timely concern about the health and wellbeing of athletes of all ages. The material should help everyone involved in athletics, especially parents and the sports nutrition consultants to think right about sports. It emphasizes the simple fact that the truly happy athlete finds comfort not in cheating, but from knowing that the pursuit of athletics is 100 per cent a function of his or her own doing. ... Read more

Product Description

Successful sports coaching is as dependent on utilising good teaching and social practices as it is about expertise in sport skills and tactics. Understanding Sports Coaching offers an innovative introduction to the theory and practice of sports coaching, highlighting the social, cultural and pedagogical concepts underpinning good coaching practice. Now in a fully revised and updated new edition, the book explores the complex interplay between coach, athlete, coaching programme and social context, and encourages coaches to develop an open and reflective approach to their own coaching practice. It addresses key issues such as:

• athlete motivation and long term development 
• viewing the athlete as a learner
• instructional methods and reflection
• working with different athletic and learning abilities
• coaching philosophy and ethics

Understanding Sports Coaching also includes a full range of practical exercises and case studies designed to encourage coaches to reflect critically upon their own coaching strategies, their interpersonal skills and upon important issues in contemporary sports coaching. This book is essential reading for all students of sports coaching and for any professional coach looking to develop their coaching expertise.