Product Description
This accessible introductory text explores the history, philosophies, and principles of today's physical education programs within a practical, career-oriented framework. The text explores the wide variety of career opportunities available, and includes a greater focus on non-teaching related careers in physical education and sport. The Online Learning Center now includes free access to PowerWeb--a password-protected website with current articles, weekly updates with assessment, timely world news, refereed Web links, interactive exercises, and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Worst textbook I have ever had
This book is an awful, overpriced and repetitive textbook. If you are thinking about using this as a textbook for your class, stop and find a better book. ... Read more

Product Description
Fully updated to reflect the 2010 BTEC National Sport and Exercise Sciences specification, this new edition of the bestselling textbook provides students with all the knowledge, understanding and skills to put them on the path to success with their BTEC National Sport qualification. Written by expert senior verifiers who have been involved with the new qualification's development. BTEC LEVEL 3 NATIONAL SPORT AND EXERCISE SCIENCES THIRD EDITION provides complete coverage of every level of the qualification and includes: --clear learning goals and key learning points --clearlayout with student-friendly accessible text --expert assessment tips --even more colour photos to provide even greater context for students --clear mapping of knowledge and activities to the relevant Pass, Merit and Distinction criteria --practical case studies linked to assessment --free student access to selected digital resources through Dynamic Learning Student Online.With the Dynamic Learning Student Online service, students are provided with free access to a wide range of motivating resources, including interactive drag and drop labelling exercises and key word definition exercises, as well as worksheet templates for students to use in ther assignments. ... Read more

Product Description
This new volume in the Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine series, published under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee, delivers an up-to-date, state of the art presentation of the scientific aspects of conditioning, injury prevention, and competition.

The book covers the key areas of scientific knowledge in sport and is divided into: physiology and biochemistry; nutrition; anthropometry; immunology; cell biology; biomechanics, engineering and ergonomics; psychology; pharmacology; limitations to performance; special populations; and exercise and health.

Presented in a clear style and format, The Olympic Textbook of Science in Sport, draws on the expertise of an international collection of contributors who are recognized as leaders in their respective fields. It will be indispensable for all sport scientists and medical doctors who serve athletes and sports teams and is an invaluable reference for students of sport and exercise science. ... Read more

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With Inside Sport Psychology, you’ll discover the relationship between mind, body, and performance. Learn about the techniques that have proven successful for today’s top athletes and teams and how you can adapt and apply them in both training and competition.

Product Description
Prepare for each underwater adventure and its challenges. Diving Science will help you anticipate, recognize, and respond to the physical, physiological, and psychological stresses encountered in sport diving.

Written by two experts in diving physiology and medicine, this comprehensive resource will help you manage each stage of a dive more safely and successfully. Whether you’re on the surface or bottom, in the descent or ascent, you’ll know exactly what to do and when to do it. With information on everything from on-gassing and off-gassing to first response interventions for medical problems, Diving Science is as essential as a wetsuit for your next dive.

Use the book’s diving-specific fitness specifications to learn how to make diving safe and enjoyable at any age. And apply the detailed equipment recommendations to prepare properly for each dive.

Diving Science provides a wealth of information useful to all divers. Tap into this treasure chest before each dive to ensure it is your best and safest yet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Simplistic, irritating.
What this book does well is the section on the physics of diving - maybe because it hasn't changed much over the years. But the standard training manuals from BSAC, NAUI, PADI etc do a good job of this too, so (unless you don't have your course materials) it's not worth spending $[...] for redundant information.

I had high hopes for this book, based on the other Amazon reviews. And when I started to write this, my intent was to ultimately recommend it too. However when I realized how outdated the bibliography was, I changed my mind.

Specifically...

1) The large font (seems to be a feature of Human Kinetics Press - the otherwise excellent 'Scuba Diving Safety' from HKP is the same) immediately reminded me of those large print books for old people. No harm in that, but the prospective reader of this is likely to be young and fit with good eyesight. Perhaps the real reason is to pad out the text to make it big enough to publish?.

2) The silly anecdotes. For example the 'Diving Scenario' on page 16. Are we trying to rescue the victims before the explosion? In which case they're not victims (needing rescuing) yet. Or perhaps we're meant to rescue them after the explosion? But they've just had a free cremation courtesy of the negligent chamber operator...so not much point. This could have been a plausible example of the universal gas law with sensible editing.

Another silliness? From page 12: 'Archimedes described the principles of buoyancy over 2000 years ago, and they are as valid today as they were then' Why wouldn't they be? Scientific principles don't have expiration dates...

3) The typos. Normally totally forgivable, but the faults with the rest of the book make them stand-out. For example, Table 1.1 on page 6: 'inches of mercury' are not 'mmHg'

4) The irrelevant anecdotes - page 19. 'Tragically, an explosion occurred in the Apollo 1 space capsule. .. The caspule was pressurized to 1.2 ATA .. All the astronauts in the cabin were immediately incinerated'. It's true, and it's tragic - but what's it got to do with anything sub-aquatic? More padding?

5) The mistakes: Page 79 - aspirin does NOT prevent red blood cells from sticking together: it's platelets that are affected by aspirin. (To be fair, the authors get this right 50 or so pages later).

6) Out of date material. Some history is always a good thing, but I was astonished to see the citations in the scientific bibliography are mostly from the 1940's, 1950's, 1960's and 1970's. The most recent citations are: three from the 1980's, one from 1991 and one from 2000 (this is just a general physiology text).

In summary this book feels like a 1970's PhD thesis that's been rewarmed for publication. I know most of my criticisms are just pedantic - these should have been fixed by the editor. The authors are clearly passionate about diving - I've no doubt they are professional, diligent and expert physicians who I'd want treating me if I were bent. But they've been badly let down by Human Kinetics Press who failed to edit the book professionally.

The real problem is the accumulation of these irritations - on the stuff I know about - is enough to make me unsure of the stuff I don't know anything about - do I believe it or not?

If you need a good text on underwater science and medicine, there're several to choose from. The 2nd edition of 'Deeper into Diving' for example. Though it's pricy - and I had to order it from Australia - is a much better bet.

PS - to the authors: Feel free to counter-attack - I can be reached at [...]

Far more than the minimum required to learn to dive yet does not require a medical degree.
While still in dive class this was my first dive book. I am reasonably intelligent with a medical background yet deficient in grasping the concepts of science. This was exactly what I was looking for to explain dive physiology on a level far above the lowest common denominator yet I could grasp the relationships in this unique and alien environment. I recommend it every opportunity asked and feel Conrad H. Blickenstorfer review has captured the essence extremely well.

Disappointing
Poorly organized content as well as scarce and bland illustrations make this book not worth its money. In addition to following a totally unintuitive and strange organization, the information presented is superficial and, if I had to guess, 20 years outdated in many places. Also, the authors completely dropped the ball on providing references in the text, an oversight that is inexcusable in such a dynamic and ever-changing field as dive medicine. The only reason I gave two instead of one stars is that the chapters do include real-world examples of the material covered, mostly in the form of diving incidents and accidents. However, when I wanted to learn the latest and greatest about nitrogen narcosis, for example, the entry on wikipedia turned out to far outperform the chapter in this book. Personally, I would not buy this book again and don't recommend it.

Great, but too advance medical stuff book
In summary, book is great, rich with original information not so common to find in similar literature. It's intended for far too advanced readers, it's a good repository to have it if you are a medical doctor or so, or doing some research on the subject, it's great for learning and for references. It's generaly not for sport divers. I myself like it very much for all the data I found in it, becouse it feeds my couriosity.

Diving Science
I purchased this book to give me more information on the science of scuba diving for my Dive Con and Dive Instructor courses.

The book give detailed information on the various theories, gas laws and how theyinteract with the human body.Examples of real life stories are also given.

If you are interested in get truly advanced knowledge of the effects of scuba diving on the body, I would highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The first reference to look specifically at how elite athletes are developed

Expert Performance in Sports: Advances in Research on Sport Expertise presents an overview of the critical issues facing researchers who study how athletes reach—and stay at—the pinnacle of their sports. The text will allow you to update your knowledge of sport expertise with the most current research and practical applications for the development of sport expertise in athletes, referees, and judges.

This comprehensive reference reflects both theoretical underpinnings and future directions in the understanding of sport expertise research and is the first book to look specifically at how elite athletes are developed.

Editors Janet L. Starkes and K. Anders Ericsson identify the questions typically asked in the study of sport expertise; they provide a stimulating, scientific debate that addresses the question of whether a general theory of expert performance is achievable; and they conclude with a glimpse of future directions for research on sport expertise.

This new reference answers controversial questions that arise with regard to the training of high-level performers:

• How can you potentially speed up the acquisition process?
• How easy or difficult is it for experts to retain high performance levels as they age?
• How can coaches structure practices to maximize active time and preparation for the next competition?
• What is the role of coaches and mentors who work with elite performers?
• What aspects of performance best reflect expert behaviors in a particular sport—anticipation, perceptual accuracy, decision speed, attention focus, response selection, response consistency, strategy, or others?

With Expert Performance in Sports, you not only can read about sport expertise research but also find out how athletes and coaches benefit the most. "Experts’ Comments" at the end of each chapter present the opinions of two world-class experts, Therese Brisson and Nick Cipriano. These experts’ opinions bridge the gap between the research presented and its practical applications. Dr. Therese Brisson’s academic training is in motor behavior; she also is an Olympic gold medalist, silver medalist, and six-time world champion in ice hockey. Professor Nick Cipriano is both an academic and an international-level wrestling coach. He is a former international-level wrestler and world-renowned coach in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, and he has coached both male and female athletes from the high school level to the Olympic team.

This is a must-have reference that will challenge researchers to identify both their theoretical underpinnings and future directions in their study of how the best excel at sports. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume in the Handbook of Sports Medicine and Science series delivers up-to-date scientific knowledge alongside practical applications in rowing, making it an invaluable resource for researchers, coaches and rowers of all abilities.

Published under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee, in collaboration with the International Rowing Federation (FISA), Rowing:

• Provides key knowledge of the historical, nutritional and psychological aspects of rowing


• Offers ground-breaking physiological insights which can help shape future training methodologies


• Features a rowing periodization plan to help trainers and athletes create comprehensive and effective training programs, racing plans and tactics.

Rowing brings together internationally renowned experts with experience in competitive rowing and sports medicine, making this the complete handbook of medicine, science and practice in rowing. ... Read more

Product Description
Physical Education, Exercise And Sport Science In A Changing Society, Seventh Edition Covers Physical Education From Its Historical Foundations To Its Role In Today's Society And The Future. It Gives A Thorough Overview Of Today’S Field, Its Varied Elements, How They Came To Be, And How They Are Developing, Including The Conflicts Over Field, Major & Departmental Names. ItAlso Examines The Developing Sub Disciplines Within Physical Education, Sport, Exercise Science And Kinesiology. The Text Surveys Both Teaching And Non-Teaching Careers And Thoroughly Examines Technology, Current Issues, And Future Trends. The Seventh Edition Has Been Thoroughly Revised And Updated To Represent The Current State And Potential Of The Field Of Physical Education Today. ... Read more

Product Description
Sport is undergoing a global technological revolution. Year on year, records are smashed, equipment gets more sophisticated, facilities improve almost beyond recognition. These changes are impacting on all areas of sport, from shoes to cycles and stadia. Is this making sport more exciting for participants and spectators? Or are talent and determination becoming secondary to money and technology, devaluing honest competition?

In Higher, Further, Faster…, Stewart Ross looks at these questions and much more. Starting with a description of technology's impact on elements common to various sports, such as bats, balls, pitches and special clothing, he then examines the controversies that arise almost daily, from golf club technology to the use of Hawk-eye in tennis. He also looks ahead to the techno-future of major sports such as football, tennis, golf, cricket, cycling and motor sport, and asks where they are going:

• Are referees and umpires becoming redundant?
• If drugs will always win, do we really have a choice about using them?
• Will we ever see a Super-Human Olympics?
• Is modern professional sport more about technology than talent?
• Can athletes from the developing world ever hope to compete in modern sport?

This book is a must-read for all participants and fans who want to understand the technological upheaval that is shaking modern sport to its very foundations. One thing's for sure: whether you find it stimulating or just plain scary, the future will be very, very different…

About the author
Stewart Ross is a full-time writer with some 200 published titles to his credit. He is also an occasional journalist and broadcaster, a frequent lecturer, notably on the QE2 and at ICES (La Roche sur Yon, France, where he lectures to science students), and a much sought-after presenter of workshops to schools and adult groups.

www.stewartross.net
... Read more

Product Description
This handbook consists of a solid theoretical and scientific rationale that is presented in a simple language. It also presents a balance between quantitative and qualitative methods of research and analysis, and advocates for problem-focused methodology, and mixed design when the questions asked by the researcher or the scientists require doing so. The most distinctive feature of the book is that the contents are presented in a hierarchy in terms of complexity ... Read more

Product Description

• How can we predict the trajectory of a baseball from bat to outfield?
• How do the dimples in a golf ball influence its flight from tee to pin?
• What forces determine the path of a soccer ball steered over a defensive wall by an elite player?

An understanding of the physical processes involved in throwing, hitting, firing and releasing sporting projectiles is essential for a full understanding of the science that underpins sport. This is the first book to comprehensively examine those processes and to explain the factors governing the trajectories of sporting projectiles once they are set in motion.

From a serve in tennis to the flight of a ’human projectile’ over a high jump bar, this book explains the universal physical and mathematical principles governing movement in sport, and then shows how those principles are applied in specific sporting contexts. Divided into two sections, addressing theory and application respectively, the book explores key concepts such as:

• friction, spin, drag, impact and bounce
• computer and mathematical modelling
• variable sensitivity
• the design of sports equipment
• materials science.

Richly illustrated throughout, and containing a wealth of research data as well as worked equations and examples, this book is essential reading for all serious students of sports biomechanics, sports engineering, sports technology, sports equipment design and sports performance analysis.

Product Description

All over the world sport plays a prominent role in society: as a leisure activity for many, as an ingredient of culture, as a business and as a matter of national prestige in such major events as the World Cup in soccer or the Olympic Games. Hence, it is not surprising that science has entered the realm of sports, and, in particular, that computer simulation has become highly relevant in recent years. This is explored in this book by choosing five different sports as examples, demonstrating that computational science and engineering (CSE) can make essential contributions to research on sports topics on both the fundamental level and, eventually, by supporting athletes’ performance.

Product Description
The remarkable growth of financial markets over the past decades has been accompanied by an equally remarkable explosion in financial engineering, the interdisciplinary field focusing on applications of mathematical and statistical modeling and computational technology to problems in the financial services industry. The goals of financial engineering research are to develop empirically realistic stochastic models describing dynamics of financial risk variables, such as asset prices, foreign exchange rates, and interest rates, and to develop analytical, computational and statistical methods and tools to implement the models and employ them to design and evaluate financial products and processes to manage risk and to meet financial goals. This handbook describes the latest developments in this rapidly evolving field in the areas of modeling and pricing financial derivatives, building models of interest rates and credit risk, pricing and hedging in incomplete markets, risk management, and portfolio optimization. Leading researchers in each of these areas provide their perspective on the state of the art in terms of analysis, computation, and practical relevance.The authors describe essential results to date, fundamental methods and tools, as well as new views of the existing literature, opportunities, and challenges for future research. ... Read more

Product Description
This new second edition of Science and Practice of Strength Training comes with many additions and changes. A new coauthor, Dr. William Kraemer, joins Dr. Vladimir Zatsiorsky in expanding on the principles and concepts needed for training athletes. Among Dr. Kraemer’s contributions are three new chapters targeting specific populations—women, young athletes, and seniors—plus the integration of new concepts into the other chapters.

Together the authors have trained more than 1,000 elite athletes, including Olympic, world, continental, and national champions and record holders. The concepts they divulge are influenced by both Eastern European and North American perspectives. The authors integrate those concepts in solid principles, practical insights, coaching experiences, and directions based on scientific findings. This edition is much more practical than its predecessor; to this end, the book provides the practitioner with the understanding to craft strength training programs based on individuals’ needs.

Science and Practice of Strength Training, Second Edition, shows that there is no one program that works for any one person at all times or for all conditions. This book addresses the complexity of strength training programs while providing straightforward approaches to take under specific circumstances. Those approaches are applied to new physiological concepts and training practices, which provide readers with the most current information in the science and practice of strength training. The approaches are also applied to the three new chapters, which will help readers design safe and effective strength training programs for women, young athletes, and seniors. In addition, the authors provide examples of strength training programs to demonstrate the principles and concepts they explain in the book.

The book is divided into three parts. Part I focuses on the basis of strength training, detailing concepts, task-specific strength, and athlete-specific strength. Part II covers methods of strength conditioning, delving into training intensity, timing, strength exercises, injury prevention, and goals. Part III explores training for specific populations. The book also includes suggested readings that can further aid readers in developing strength training programs.

This expanded and updated coverage of strength training concepts will ground readers in the understanding they need in order to develop appropriate strength training programs for each person that they work with. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Very good book
This is one of the best books on strength training I have ever read! But this book is a dry read and is not for everyone. The information in this book is great and very scientific. You will learn a lot in this book but you must be willing to think outside the box to put the information to use. This is not a book that you can read and pick out a workout routine, but this book will help give you the tools to build a great workout routine if you take the time and effort to apply the principles from the book. If you love fitness and buy Men's health/fitness then this book is NOT FOR YOU. If you know who Mel Siff is and you like his book then this will be of interest to you. This is a text book, and in my opinion a great one. I am very glad I bought this book.

Written for coaches and physiologists
I have mixed feelings about this book. First, the good stuff: it contains a good review of current scientific literature relating to muscle development. It contains (I assume) good instructions to persons who are seriously training for regional or international competitions in weight lifting, gymnastics, track and field events, swimming, baseball, and others. The text is not centered on any one sport; this is a good thing, since strength training is relavant to any sport. The book also has chapters dedicated to special interest groups including pre-adolecents, seniors, women (with discssion of menstrual cycle), and persons recovering from injury. I learned a lot from this book and will use some of its material in a college course that I teach.

Things I'm less impressed with include the first few chapters in the section entitled "Basis of Strength Conditioning." The reader is bombarded with technical language and equations without sufficient explanations. The text is not dry; it provides great examples and contexts for the scientific concepts introduced in this section, but I found myslef a bit lost. This led to some misunderstandings later in the book when the same concepts were mentioned with regards to specific situations. I have a Ph.D. in Biology, so it's not a good sign that I got lost in places. Part of the probelm may be the unneccessary use of abbreviations that reqired me to use the glossary a little too often (I'm glad it has a glossary). Other than the introductory sections, I think the whole book could be written more succinctly. The text became repetitive in places.

I recommend this book to those with specialized interests: coaches, exercise technicians, elite athletes, and college professors like myself.

Fairly good book
This book was a slight disappointment, wasn't as good as I expected. Contains good info anyway, and I found some interesting new pieces of info, but also some errors. Due to some errors I can't totally trust everything in this book, have to verify some things from other sources before I could trust them completely.

As an example, in "Injury prevention" section authors recommend including "trunk rotations against resistance" in training protocols (page 147). This is totally against scientific proof, according to scientific evidence this exercise should absolutely be EXCLUDED. Check this in Stuart McGill's book "Low back disorders- ..." and you will find the right kind of advice on injury prevention.

Same goes for the recommendation on page 145: "Persons at high risk of LBPS (low back pain syndrome) should perform sit-ups with the legs bent, as in this position the load on the spine is lighter and the effect on the abdominal wall is greater." This is old and erroneous information, the new scientific evidence proves that there is not a great difference in the load on the spine even if legs are bent. The pressure is again high and exactly from the injury prevention viewpoint there are superior rectus abdominis exercises. Once again, check for example above mentioned McGill's book for the scientific evidence and better recommendations.

For the above stated reasons, I can't totally trust this books information, especially the injury prevention section is clearly not updated to take into account the newer scientific evidence.

Excellent book, but lacking in electrostimulation science.
The book is excellent. However, the few pages mentioning (EMS) are dated and reveal ignorance of the progress made in this field since the mid '90s. It only mentions Russian electrostimulation, an inferior technique of the past; it is surpassed by current know-how and machines utilizing square-wave technology, such as the Globus Premium Sport Muscle Electrostimulator. The author can be forgiven for not knowing this technique, but discussing it fromthe authoritative pedestal that these two authors have, is misleading. It also doesn't understand how EMS can complement traditional training. See Wikipedia for a better explanation of EMS.

SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF STRENGTH TRAINING
This book was recommended to me by one of Australias leading strength and conditioning coaches - Tony Boutagy. I do not regret buying this book, it has provided me with an abundance of information and is one of the best purchases i have made in quite a while. ... Read more

Product Description

It’s fun to watch a high-flying slam dunk, a perfect spiral thrown for a touchdown, or a batter fooled by a hard-breaking curveball. But how are athletes able to perform these moves? From the laws of physics on a skateboard to the effects of weather on a ball, the Science of Sports books explore all the science behind these amazing plays.

... Read more

Product Description
The Handbook of Sports Medicine presents basic clinicaland scientific information in a clear style and format as related tospecific sports events drawn from the Olympic Summer and WinterGames. Each handbook is written by a small team of authorities andcoordinated by an editor who is internationally respected andrecognized in the particular sport activity. The Handbook on StrengthTraining for Athletes presents both the basic concepts and theoreticalbackground for sports-specific strength training as well as thepractical consideration in designing the overall program. Separatechapters deal with periodization, gender differences, detraining andover training. Sample programs are presented for soccer, volleyball,wrestling, endurance running, swimming, and shotput and discus.

Covers periodization, gender differences, detraining, and overtraining

Sample programs presented for soccer, volleyball, wrestling, endurance running, swimming, and shotput and discus

Endorsed by the International Federation of Sports Medicine ... Read more

Product Description
Presents some basic information about such concepts of physics as energy, buoyance, and waves while describing the mechanics of various water sports, including swimming, surfing, and boating. ... Read more