When Women Played Hardball Review

When Women Played Hardball
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I just read this book, and was surprised by how moved I was by the story of the history of women's baseball! The interviews with the former players were both humorous and touching, and framed an outstanding portrait of a unique, and practically forgotten, era. I hope a lot of young women read this book, as it is quite an inspiration.

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War on the Floor: An Average Guy Plays in the Arena Football League, and Lives to Write About It Review

War on the Floor: An Average Guy Plays in the Arena Football League, and Lives to Write About It
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A very informative and entertaining book about the inner working of an Arena Football team. Jeff puts a very positive and realistic twist on the trials and tribulations that any professional athlete goes through. Very entertaing. Thank you.
Frank Haege
Head Coach New Jerey Gladiators; Arena Football League

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He began with no athletic ability. His pass-catching skills were so bad that he was told he couldn't catch a cold if he were butt-naked. He fell flat on his facemask during a six-minute jog. He was tormented by referees, subjected to rookie initiation pranks, called Rudy by fans and intimidated by a 250-pound ex-NFL player.Welcome to Jeff Foley's adventure in the Arena Football League. A five-foot-six, 180-pound writer, Foley is every bit the average individual. But the AFL's Albany Firebirds agreed to let him join their squad as an offensive specialist/writer in 1999 and 2000. So, despite never having played a down of organized football ? no Pop Warner, high school or college gridiron experience ? Foley played in three professional contests, running pass patterns against seasoned athletes, competing in front of more than 10,000 people. He lived every fan's dream. Or nightmare?He endured grueling practice sessions, hits, injuries and road trips, and attended team meetings and meals. He was a part of locker room conversations. He was overjoyed by the thrill of success, and dealt with the disappointment that accompanies failure. Foley experienced all life in the AFL has to offer. And lived to write about it.

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Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?: What It Takes To Be An Authentic Leader Review

Why Should Anyone Be Led by You: What It Takes To Be An Authentic Leader
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Gareth Jones is director of Human Resources and Internal Communications at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and a former Professor of Organizational Development at Henley Management College in Oxfordshire, England. Robert Goffee is Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School. They are the founding partners of Creative Management Associates, an organizational consulting firm in London, England. This article, published in Harvard Business Review's September-October 2000 issue, discusses the research of the authors into leadership (as academics, consultants, and executives).
The authors argue that inspirational leaders share four shared (unexpected) qualities: Leaders show and reveal their weaknesses, rely heavily on intuition and associated timing, manage with tough empathy (passionately and realistically), and reveal (and capitalize on) their differences. Goffee and Jones discuss each of these qualities in detail, explaining why these qualities are so important and how leaders show them. There is a short history of leadership and a discussion of some popular myths about leadership: 'Everyone can be a leader', 'leaders deliver business results', 'people who get to the top are leaders', and 'leaders are great coaches'. In addition, there is a short discussion on female leadership, whereby the authors' advice is that female leaders should stay true to themselves. The final conclusion of the article is that the four discussed qualities cannot be used mechanically. Their advice to executives is: "Be yourselves - more - with skill."
This article is much in line with the latest thinking in leadership: Emotional intelligence (EQ/EI) is as important, or even more important, than traditional intelligence (IQ). I see big relations with the Harvard Business Review-articles by Daniel Goleman (What Makes a Leader?, 1998) and Jim Collins (Level 5 Leadership, 2001), which also emphasize the softer, emotional side of leadership. I did like this article and would recommend it to people moving into management and MBA-students. My main complaint is that the conclusion of this article is somewhat too simple. The article is written in simple English. Please note that this article runs on Acrobat eBook Reader software and is not a .pdf-file.

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Too many companies are managed not by leaders, but by mere role players and faceless bureaucrats. What does it take to be a real leader-one who is confident in who she is and what she stands for, and who truly inspires people to achieve extraordinary results? Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones argue that leaders don't become great by aspiring to a list of universal character traits. Rather, effective leaders are authentic: they deploy individual strengths to engage followers' hearts, minds, and souls. They are skillful at consistently being themselves, even as they alter their behaviors to respond effectively in changing contexts. In this lively and practical book, Goffee and Jones draw from extensive research to reveal how to hone and deploy one's unique leadership assets while managing the inherent tensions at the heart of successful leadership: showing emotion and withholding it, getting close to followers while keeping distance, and maintaining individuality while "conforming enough." Underscoring the social nature of leadership, the book also explores how leaders can remain attuned to the needs and expectations of followers. Why Should Anyone Be Led By You? will forever change how we view, develop, and practice the art of leadership, wherever we live and work.

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Women Who Win: Female Athletes on Being the Best Review

Women Who Win: Female Athletes on Being the Best
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Women Who Win: Female Athletes on Being the Best is an anthology of portraits of champion ten female athletes. A black-and-white photograph of each woman introduces her section, peppered with snippets of interviews, tales of training regimens, and stories of the raw struggle required to become the best of the best. The women covered are big-wave surfer Jamilah Star, jockey Julie Krone, soccer player Julie Foudy, runner Deena Kastor, gymnast Wendy Hilliard, volleyball player Misty May-Treanor, swimmer Lynne Cox, basketball player Tamika Catchings, triathlete Karen Smyers, and rock climber Lynn Hill. An amazing true account of what it takes to reach the top of one's game, and an especially inspirational read for women of all ages.

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Whether it's surfer Jamilah Star riding an unprecedented fifty-foot wave, Olympic marathoner Deena Kastor winning the bronze in 2004, or top-ranked climber Lynn Hill facing down a tough climb at Joshua Tree, one thing is certain: these women have game.What's more, these amazing athletes capture our imagination. How do they do it? What motivates them to win and to become the best in their sport?In Women Who Win, adventure writer Lisa Taggart takes us behind the scenes, deep into the training regimens and the ultimate victories, to see what makes these women — and some of their fellow female athletes — tick. Whether their sport is soccer, cycling, mountain biking, or volleyball, these athletes will inspire you to pursue your dreams, whether it's running a marathon or catching your first wave.

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Runner's World Complete Book of Beginning Running Review

Runner's World Complete Book of Beginning Running
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If you are one of those people who always see these runners and envy them but are afraid to start because the very few times you tried you almost felt your heart coming out of your ears then this is the book for you.
The book is exactly what it claims to be, for beginners. It is full of motivational facts and answers a lot of your questions as you progress. I started browsing it in Spring after my doctor told me that I am in a pre-diabetic stage ( I am insulin resistant and have PCOS) and have to do something about it. In summer I finished a 5k, walked most of it, and got my insulin level back to normal and now I go out for a run almost every day for 30 to 60 minutes, no walking! And I have started training for half marathon. I am now combining this running skill with sensible diet, also described in book, and the 30lbs I had to lose are melting down.
The 24 week walk/run plan is a realistic one. The quality of pictures is really good and it does a great job in keeping you motivated. I recommend it to anyone who wants to start running but doesn't know where to start.
P.S. I am completing this review. I ran my very first half-marathon on April 29th, 2007 and I have this book to thank for most of it. I am a runner now.

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Finally the first Runner's World book for beginning runners! The newest addition to the heralded Runner's World series focuses exclusively on the concerns of the tens of thousands of new runners who take up the sport every year.Recognizing that newcomers to a sport need all the help they can get, Runner's World now devotes an entire book to guiding the beginning runner through those challenging first days, weeks, and months. Peppered throughout with motivating tips and advice from those who have been there, this much-needed volume presents a can't-fail program that is sure to help new runners feel and look better and have more energy and less stress. Inside you'll find:o Information on nutrition and how to adjust your diet to fit your new running lifestyleo Training advice, including how to use cross-training, stretching, and strength exercises to keep enthusiasm up, weight down, and fitness at an optimum levelo A special section for women runnersWritten by the executive editor of Runner's World magazine and covering every problem the new runner may encounter-from choosing the right shoes to preventing injury to preparing for a race-this authoritative volume provides all the information and inspiration any novice requires to turn running into a healthy, lifetime pursuit.

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MediaMaking: Mass Media in a Popular Culture Review

MediaMaking: Mass Media in a Popular Culture
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This is a great book. It covers many of the most important theoretical perspectives and issues in mass communication. I got this book for one of my first graduate classes and I have been referencing it ever since.

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The Second Edition of this bestselling text takes a unique approach to the study of mass communication and cultural studies by examining media as a whole - newspapers, books, magazines, radio, television, film - and its relationship with culture and society. Rather than viewing each major medium separately, authors Lawrence Grossberg, Ellen Wartella, D. Charles Whitney, and J. Macgregor Wise contend that mass communication cannot be studied apart from the other institutions in society and the other dimensions of social life - each is shaping and defining the other. MediaMaking: Mass Media in a Popular Culture explores the variety of ways in which the media are involved in our social lives, including the institutional, economic, social, cultural, and historical aspects.



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Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology Review

Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology
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I was actually sent the Instructors Edition of the book. I am not yet sure whats different in the book but I would love to find out. The book was delivered in good timing and great quality. Thanks

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MEDIA NOW, Seventh Edition, empowers you to think critically about the media and its effects on culture by providing a thorough understanding of how media technologies develop, operate, converge, and affect society. MEDIA NOW prepares you for encounters in the expanding fields of the Internet, interactive media, and traditional media industries through engaging, up-to-date material that covers the essential history, theories, concepts, and technical knowledge you need to thrive. Extensively updated in a new sixth edition, MEDIA NOW provides a comprehensive introduction to today's global media environment and ongoing developments in technology, culture, and critical theory that continue to transform this rapidly evolving industry and affect our daily lives.

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X Play Nation of Action Sports: Game Changers Review

X Play Nation of Action Sports: Game Changers
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X Play Nation presents a side to action sports most would never know existed. The authors first hand account of the inner workings of this fast paced industry sheds light on the business of action sports in an interesting, and easy to read format. I literally read this book in a weekend, and came away with a new perception of the driving force behind the sales machine that surrounds sports, and its star athletes.

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"The best marketing book EVER!"X Play Nation of Action Sports is an "explanation" of how game changing innovators in youth marketing built leading brands with creative lifestyle marketing and new media. X Play Nation is a strategic marketing and branding book that explains the evolution of action sports and describes how today's most popular companies built their brands through influential brand ambassadors, including Ken Block, Brian Deegan, Danny Way, Jeremy McGrath, Jen O'Brien, Cara-Beth Burnside, Ricky Johnson, Dave Mirra, Robby Gordon, Bob Haro, Mike Metzger, Tara Dakides and Carey Hart.X Play Nation contains first-hand testimony from the founders and CEO's of Volcom, Hurley, Quiksilver, Monster Energy, DC Shoes, Osiris, Tilly's, PacSun, FUEL TV, Zumiez, Metal Mulisha, X Games, Dragon, TransWorld, Plan B, Tru2eve, Lucas Oil, Vans, Warped Tour, Camp Woodward, Wahoo's Fish Taco, Blue C and more."The action sports business is 50 years old, drives youth culture global, boasts billions in sales and is filled with Peter Pan's Lost Boys...Striler has captured an intimate perspective on the inner workings of this fascinating industry." - CJ Olivares, Founder, FUEL TV"Everything you always wanted to know on how the action sports industry does business." - Wing Lam, Co-Founder, Wahoo's Fish Taco"An informative read for anyone interested in the business of action sports. It sparks ideas." - Richard Woolcott, CEO, Volcom"Thirty-two years of my life! A little slice of American youth!" - Tom Campion, Founder ZUMIEZ"You can't get a Major in Action Sports Business from an Ivy League School. X PLAY NATION is about as close as it gets to this kind of insight and inside perspective." - Don Durban, Founder, Planet X Television"A rare inside look into action sports marketing and its success stories. Alex gets it straight for you. And, how they did it right from the industry's heaviest hitters." - Jen O'Brien, X-Games Silver Medalist & 2002 Women's World Skate Cup Champion"Bob Costas should have read this before he interviewed Shaun White after Shaun won his first Olympic gold." - Chad Mihalick, Founder, Malakye.com"A unique and rarely documented look at what goes inside the highly impenetrable world of action sports. A must read for anyone that would like to get an idea of what makes action sports work, without spending a minimum of 10 years living it." - Tony Mag, Founder, Osiris Shoes and H-Street Skateboards"Alex's frontline experience and ability to articulate how action sports isn't about choices in sports, but choices in mindset, combined with his insights on how the action sports industry and lifestyle companies disrupt traditional sports and continue to democratize branding, marketing and social thinking is a valuable resource for anyone engaged in Youth sourcing opportunities." - John Waraniak, Vice President, SEMA and former COO of No Fear "X PlayNation is like reading an action sports history book, marketing manual, biography collection, data resource, and story book all in one."- Ron Stebenne, Freestyle Promotions

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Off the Beaten Path: A Travel Guide to More Than 1000 Scenic and Interesting Places Still Uncrowded and Inviting Review

Off the Beaten Path: A Travel Guide to More Than 1000 Scenic and Interesting Places Still Uncrowded and Inviting
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Beautiful, fascinating, informative. Visually stunning, intellectually stimulating. A true pleasure to peruse. Loaded with nuggets of information. Practical, yet destined to be a collector's item and tabletop treasure. Can I gush any more than that about this excellent work from Reader's Digest?
Off the Beaten Path provides thumbnail descriptions of more than 1,000 interesting sites and destinations in the USA. All of these are places tourists don't normally flock to, but that are worth seeing. These include museums, historic inns, castles, rock formations, dinosaur trails, pontoon boating, parks, lakes, wildlife sanctuaries, and zoos. The book contains over 1,000 photographs of these sites.
The book consists of 50 chapters, each devoted to one state. The tourist bureau in each state has verified that each site listed is, indeed, still not (yet) heavily visited. In each chapter is at least one "Did you know?" box that has an interesting fact. The end of each chapter also has a calendar of events (seasonal activities, such as Strawberry Day in Tennessee) for the state. Each chapter also has a detailed state road map, with the sites marked out. As you read about each site, you can refer back to the map to see where it is.
For a given destination, you will find:
* Title of site.
* Street address (or nearest highway and city).
* Well-written description that explains what the site has to offer.
* Notes on availability, access, tours, and the like (including if an admission fee applies)
* Hyperlink to Website.
* Phone number of the relevant agency, foundation, operator, or owner.
* Icons that show which of 16 different types of amenities are available. Three new ones (since previous edition): pet- friendly, handicap-accessible, and wi-fi compatible.
For those who don't like to travel, this book allows the reader to make a virtual visit to the many wonders and interesting sites across the USA or in your own state. If you haven't taken an interesting trip lately, this book may be just the thing to help you plan one that you'll thoroughly enjoy.
This book has been thoroughly copy-edited and painstakingly fact-checked. The editorial standards evident here are the highest I've seen. All of the other technical details are also high-caliber: layout, binding, artwork, and so forth. The careful attention to detail really shows. In addition, the book is nicely indexed. From looking in the acknowledgements and photo credits, I was struck by the sheer number of contributors to this work. Having worked on the editorial side of the desk, I'm impressed at how well all that input was handled.
It's beautifully bound in hardback, with artwork on the actual hardback covers. The paper is very heavy stock, giving it a luxurious feel. The book jacket has the same artwork as the book itself.
Use Off the Beaten Path as a vacation reference, day trip planner, coffee table decoration, or family heirloom. Buy it as a gift for young people just starting out and you can't go wrong, but it makes an excellent gift for just about anyone. If you do buy it as a gift, you will want your own copy once you see it. If you don't add this to your collection, you are really missing out. I'd give it three thumbs up, but I have only two thumbs.


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The best-selling Reader's Digest travel book has 40% new content including over 200 new sites, over 200 new full-color photographs, and all-new, up-to- date maps. Off the Beaten Path spotlights over 1,000 of the United States' most overlooked must- see destinations. In a state-by-state A-to-Z format, this budget-friendly vacation planner reveals the best-kept secret spots so that no matter where you live, you can plan an unforgettable local vacation within an hour or two of your home. Each of the featured sites has been verified by the respective state's tourist bureau as still being "off the beaten path." Revel in nature, science, art, and culture, and encounter the unexpected as you explore undiscovered gems. This exciting new edition features: 1,000 sites-more than 200 new sites and over 300 photographs-more than 200 brand new Brand-new detailed state road maps, and revised and updated tourist information- plus links to the attraction's website New feature-"Did You Know" fact boxes, and three new icons representing pet- friendly, handicap-accessible, and wi-fi compatible sites Sidebars containing seasonal events for each state Packed with innovative ideas for fun day trips and truly memorable vacations for travelers of every temperament, penchant, and budget, this unparalleled escape book leads you to New Hampshire's castle in the clouds. pontoon boating through the Florida Everglades, dinosaurs trails through Colorado, an authentic jousting tournament in Virginia, or a stroll down America's oldest street in New York City. Plan an unforgettable vacation with this best-selling travel book-a super-easy reference that shows you where to go, how to get there, and what you need to know before you begin your adventure.

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Lost Vegas: The Redneck Riviera, Existentialist Conversations with Strippers, and the World Series of Poker Review

Lost Vegas: The Redneck Riviera, Existentialist Conversations with Strippers, and the World Series of Poker
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Las Vegas. The glitz and glamour as bright as the lights on the Strip. An adult's playground where lady luck may smile on you and give you a jackpot on the slot machine or a run of good luck at the blackjack tables. Where food is king and fun runs abundant.
But like all cities, there is the belly of the beast. The things that happen off the strip. The people that walk the sewers and scrounge the alleys, devising schemes to take your money. No one in Vegas wants to talk about the dark side. Until now.
Paul has a unique style of describing what is 'behind the curtain'. He doesn't pull punches and calls it like he sees it, painting a vivid picture in your mind that makes you feel like you are there. Best of all, it is real. Nothing in this book is made up. Paul doesn't need to when the dark side does the job itself.
From the Redneck Riviera to the World Series of Poker, each tale told is more magnificent than the one before it. Lost Vegas is a book that once you start, you won't put down.

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Lost Vegas: The Redneck Riviera, Existentialist Conversations with Strippers, and the World Series of Poker. . . Las Vegas lures you to shed moral responsibility and piss away your money on indulgences like decadent food, entertainment, gambling, and sex. If you don't enjoy these pastimes, then what's the point of visiting the land of compromised values? Where else can you get a cheap steak, crash a Mexican wedding, get cold-decked in blackjack by a dealer named Dong, play video poker for thirteen straight hours, drink pina coladas out of a plastic coconut, bum a cigarette from an 85-year-old woman with an oxygen tank, speed away to the Spearmint Rhino in a free limo, get rubbed by a former Miss Teen USA, puke in the back of a cab driven by a retired Navy SEAL, snort cheap cocaine in the bathroom at O'Sheas, and then catch a lucky card on the river to crack pocket aces and win a poker tournament? Only in Las Vegas.

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If Football's a Religion, Why Don't We Have a Prayer?: Philadelphia, Its Faithful, and the Eternal Quest for Sports Salvation Review

If Football's a Religion, Why Don't We Have a Prayer: Philadelphia, Its Faithful, and the Eternal Quest for Sports Salvation
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There are certain sports teams that come to mind as having a set of fans that transcendeth all understanding. The 'Cubbies' from Chicago come to mind. And Brooklyn, don't forget Brooklyn who agreed with the newspaper that the three most evil men of the 20th century were "Hitler, Stalin, and Walter O'Malley." O'Malley moved the "Boys of Summer" to Los Angeles.
Philly, on the other hand stands out as a city that has four professional teams, a tremendous collection of fans, and a football team that hasn't won a title in 45 years. Suddenly they stood a chance. The Eagles stood a chance and Philadelphia went crazy.
This is the story of the Philly fans and their magical year that in the end ran out of pixie dust. It's a great read. It also fits in very well with the book 'Next Man Up,' even though that book is on the Ravens.

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The last time a Philadelphia professional sports team won a championship, Ronald Reagan was in the White House and Return of the Jedi was number one at the box office. No city with all four major sports has gone longer without one. The local NFL franchise, the Eagles, has not won a title since 1960, putting its devoted fans through decades of futility and heartbreak.

Peppered with riotous anecdotes about the grandstand brawlers and football lunatics who make Philadelphia one of the most entertaining places in America to watch a game, If Football's a Religion, Why Don't We Have a Prayer? is the hilarious day-by-day account of the operatic passion of Eagles fans in the buildup to the team's first Super Bowl appearance since 1981. With outrageous detail and beer-on-your-shoes reporting, New York Times sportswriter and longtime Philly resident Jere Longman reveals what happens when the losingest sports town in America finally has a shot at winning it all.
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Open Water Swimming Review

Open Water Swimming
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I have been racing in open water swims for over 40 years in hundreds of different competitions. I think I have read most of the books published on open water swimming in the US, the UK and Australia.
Steve Munatones' book is probably the best resource available for anyone who is interested in open water swimming. He includes useful focused information on the tactical, strategic and technical challenges of open water swimming which is extremely useful for anyone from a fledgling triathlete to a medium distance open water swimmer who wants to step up to the challenge of marathon swims. Open water swimming is very different from pool swimming and racing outside the predictable confines of a swimming pool has challenges that constantly surprise new participants. I haven't seen any other publication with the wealth of specifically useful information that Steve shares here to help shorten the learning curve for new swimmers and which contribute useful insights to more experienced swimmers.


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Swim faster, stronger, and more efficiently. Whether you are a dedicated open-water swimmer or a triathlete looking to conquer the sport's most challenging event, Open Water Swimming is your complete guide to improving your performance and decreasing your time.

In Open Water Swimming, renowned marathon swimmer, coach, and commentator Steven Munatones shares his insights and expertise on preparing, training, and competing in open-water events. From triathlon to marathon and all distances in between, you'll learn these tactics:

•Refine your freestyle stroke to improve power, speed, effectiveness, and navigational IQ.

•Pace yourself, and conserve energy, for faster finishes.

•Train for every event with conditioning programs for short, Olympic, marathon, and triathlon distances.

•Shave seconds off your time with professional tactics for starts, turns, feedings, transitions, and finishes.

•Incorporate the racing strategies of the most successful swimmers in the sport.

•Prepare physically and psychologically for the demands of competition.

From the art of efficient pack swimming to the best dryland and pool workouts for improving endurance, strength, and power, Open Water Swimming covers it all. Read it, refer to it, and rely on it for improved results and faster times!


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Rethinking Disney: Private Control, Public Dimensions Review

Rethinking Disney: Private Control, Public Dimensions
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As authors Mike Budd and MAX KIRSCH along with contributors Lee Artz, Sean Griffin, Dick Hebdige, Radha Jhappan, Daiva Stasiulis, and Susan Willis show in this collection of eleven interdisciplinary essays, the Walt Disney corporation has grown far beyond its origins in animated films and theme parks to become a BIG multinational corporation with global cultural programming power. Although the authors purport to take an economic approach to corporatism's "Disney-sized" problems, they do little more than show their confusion on corporations and capitalism. Corporations are creations of the state and do not arise spontaneously in a free market, but the authors seem to know little about the origins of these "artificial persons". Here are the topics that they do cover:
INTRODUCTION: "Private Disney, Public Disney" by Mike Budd
PART ONE: ALTERNATIVE HISTORIES
"Dis-Gnosis: Disney and the Re-Tooling of Knowledge, Art, Culture, Life Etcetera" by Dick Hebdige;
"Disney's Bestiary" by Susan Willis;
PART TWO: CAPITALISM, COMMODIFICATION, GLOBALIZATION
"Monarchs, Monsters and Multiculturalism: Disney's Menu for Global Hierarchy" by Lee Artz;
"The Lion King, Mimesis, and Disney's Magical Capitalism" by Maurya Wickstrom;
PART THREE: HIERARCHIES: RACE, CLASS, GENDER, SEXUALITY
"Curiouser and Curiouser: Gay Days at the Disney Theme Parks" by Sean Griffin;
"Anglophilia and the Discreet Charm of the English Voice in Disney's Pocahontas Films" - Radha Jhappan and Daiva Stasiulis;
PART FOUR: REPRESENTATION, SIMULATION, APPROPRIATION
"Everybody Wants a Piece of Pooh: Winnie, from Adaptation to Market Saturation" by Aaron Taylor;
"Truer than Life: Disney's Animal Kingdom" by Scott Hermanson;
PART FIVE: URBAN PLANNING AND THEMED ENVIRONMENTS
'Saying No to Disney: Disney's Demise in Four American Cities" by Stacy Warren;
"Synergy City: How Times Square and Celebration are Integrated into Disney's Marketing Cycle" by Frank Roost;
"Disneyfication, the Stadium, and the Politics of Ambiance" by Greg Siegel.
I thought the difficult economic issues were avoided as well as the analogy of the corporation to a Roman General and his army. Part Three was the best on Class and Heirarchies with all three authors contributing works in the section providing a superb and vitally important introduction to cultural theory and cultural programming.
With Tony Blair ever-whispering into Bush's ear, the British empire now American-powered, and Disney too a victim of Anglophilia, it is difficult to believe that American Yankees ever fought a war against the British, let alone two wars!
In short, a concise socialist critique of a certain corporation.

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In recent years, the Walt Disney Company has grown far beyond its beginnings in animated films and theme parks to become a major multinational corporation with global reach. As the company's activities have grown more complex and its influence more ubiquitous, both its internal practices and its attempts to control its now global public environment have generated conflicts that contradict the classic Disney publicity image. The 11 wide-ranging, interdisciplinary essays in this collection cover topics including Animal Kingdom; Gay Days at the theme parks; Disney's connection to sweatshops; commodification of The Lion King on Broadway; the transformation of Winnie the Pooh; Disney's experience in urban planning in Times Square and Celebration, Florida; and Disney's America. A comprehensive introduction contextualizes the essays and relates them to earlier Disney studies.CONTRIBUTORS include Lee Artz, Sean Griffin, Dick Hebdige, Radha Jhappan, Daiva Stasiulis, and Susan Willis.

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CliffsAP English Language and Composition Review

CliffsAP English Language and Composition
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I had a really bad experience with my AP Lang class; the teacher never did anything relevant to the AP exam, and all we did was read novels and put together scrapbooks that somehow related to the books. When May arrived, I knew that I was in trouble, and I borrowed this book from my library, and I absolutely attribute my 5 on the exam to it. The practice questions are extremely similar to the real thing, and the explanations are in the right line of thinking that you have to bring the exam in order to do well, and that's all that this exam is about, just how you think. The essay samples are also really well evaluated, and the book offers a glossary on literary terms that you'll have to know. The book is good for quick preparation (I literally had a little over a week with this book) and long-term practice (which is what I wish I had done instead of freaking out a week beforehand). This is definitely the book to get!

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Your complete guide to a higher score on the *AP English Language and Composition examWhy CliffsAP Guides?Go with the name you know and trustGet the information you need--fast!Written by test prep specialistsAbout the contents:Part I: Introduction* Review of the format and scoring of the recent examPart II: Analysis of Exam Areas* Description of the multiple-choice section and effective test-taking techniques* Overview of the essay section and strategies for successPart III: Diagnostic Mini-TestPart IV: Past AP English Language EssaysPart V: Glossary of Important Terms for the ExamPart VI: 6 Practice Tests* 6 full-length practice tests followed by answers and explanationsPart VII: Suggested Reading List*AP is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.AP Test Prep Essentials from the Experts at CliffsNotes?

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Horseplayers: Life at the Track Review

Horseplayers: Life at the Track
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Looking for a fun, fast-paced read this summer? If so, odds are you'll love this book. The author, Ted McClelland, spends a year as part of a fascinating subculture -- people desperately searching for the edge it takes to make a living betting on horses, whether it's searching the grandstand floor for winning tickets that were discarded by mistake, developing a new handicapping system, or just doing what your gut tells you. McClelland introduces readers to the regulars at Chicago's horse tracks, from grifters to whales (big-time betters). The book is much more than a series of character profiles, though, because the characters are McClelland's friends, mentors, confidants, and foils as he searches for his own edge.
I can attest that you don't have to be a horse racing aficionado to enjoy Horseplayers, you just have to appreciate excellent writing. McClelland has a reporter's eye for detail, a novelist's skill with metaphor and character development, and a humorist's wit and sense of timing. He also throws in historical tidbits and wonderful literary references for good measure. It is a truly great read.

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This fun and witty exposé of horse racing in America goes behind the scenes at the track, providing a serious gambler's-eye view of the action. Ted McClelland spent a year at tracks and off-track betting facilities in Chicago and across the country, profiling the people who make a career of gambling on horses. This account follows his personal journey of what it means to be a horseplayer as he gambles with his book advance using various betting and handicapping strategies along the way. A colorful cast of characters is introduced, including the intensely disciplined Scott McMannis, "The Professor," a onetime college instructor who now teaches a course in handicapping, and Mary Schoenfeldt, a former nun and gifted handicapper who donates all of her winnings to charity. This moving account of wins, losses, and personal turmoil provides arealistic look at gamblers, gambling, and life at the track.

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Outcasts Review

Outcasts
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"Outcasts! The Lands That FIFA Forgot" is a book written by Steve Menary. It's a book about the world of Unrecognised Football Nations, football nations that are not allowed by the FIFA to internationally represent themselves. It's a publication highly recommended for anybody that is interested in Unrecognised Football Nations (abbreviated to UFN from here on). But it's such a well written book that it's also understandable and interesting for people who don't know much about the world of football outside of FIFA.
"Outcasts" is a book that gets into the seemingly countless amount of inconsistencies in FIFA regulations. This is a book about football nations that want to represent themselves by playing international football matches, but are not allowed to do just that. Also in this book are stories about the NF-Board (New Federation-Board) who want to let all the people play.
You can't write a book about UFN without mentioning the NF-Board, so there's quite a lot of stories about the NF-Board here. There are stories about the good: "the NF-Board's initial provisional membership swells to 17 football federations" and the bad: "[it] should be the first game in the VIVA World Cup, but, not only are there no fans, there are no teams." The stories in the book are very honest. Steve Menary tries to describe people and events as accurate as possible and doesn't try to make things seem better than they are in reality.
NF-Board president Christian Michelis and NF-Board general secretary Jean-Luc Kit, who are very impressed with Menary's book, were actually the ones who recommended me to buy this book. And I'm quite happy for that as I've obviously enjoyed reading it.
The book has it's factual errors though. For example, The Hague is incorrectly mentioned in chapter sixteen as the capital of The Netherlands. However, The Hague is merely the seat of government and not the capital (Amsterdam is the capital) of The Netherlands. There is also an incorrect mention of Australia and New Zealand reaching the FIFA World Cup finals in 1970 and 1974 respectively, while it was actually 1974 and 1982 respectively. And I'm sure there's a few more, but you could describe these errors as minor errors and they really don't have any effect on the quality of the story.
I was happy to see an entire chapter devoted to football from the Northern Mariana Islands. To find a book about UFN is one thing, but to also find out that there's also something about football from the Northern Marianas was quite a pleasant surprise. It's a chapter that describes how the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association emerged and became a provisional member of the East Asian Football Association. It's quite an amazing story about how a man called Peter Coleman, who just wanted to let his children play football, ends up creating a national team that becomes a provisional member of the EAFF. This is a rare example where one of the UFN actually starts getting some recognition. Unfortunately, most UFN, for example Greenland who have been trying to get some recognition for many years now, are not this lucky.
It's a very enjoyable book for people interested in UFN, but it's also very interesting for football fans in general as it gives a whole different perspective of the international football than most people are accustomed to. The stories are not only about football, but also about the protection of human and cultural rights. As president of the CENF (Confederation of European New Federations), I know about what's going on with the UFN and I'm happy to see that there's now a chance for everybody to read about what's really going on in the world of international football. Rating: Excellent!

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Once in a while, a book comes along with an unusual subject matter that captures the imagination. Menary's Outcasts! falls into that category. A fascinating insight into all the various factors that have to be taken into account when looking to become a "football nation."

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Equal Play: Title IX and Social Change Review

Equal Play: Title IX and Social Change
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A carefully and thoroughly researched review of the most important events in the evolution of Title IX. Readable but also a valuable resource. You can't know where you are going if you don't know where you've been.

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Equal Play; Title IX and Social Change collects the best, up-to-date scholarship, court cases, and other useful materials showing how the governmental processes have influenced the implementation of one of the country's most important social goals: equality in athletics.

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