Very informative information and a great learning tool for young and older players alike
350314
Very informative information and a great learning tool for young and older players alike. Recommend this product and it is good quality.
3704067
I love this book. When I hear about a player I'm not familiar with, I can get a quick idea of what that player is about. It's a great resource.
4592415
This book gives a very good overview of all aspects of the sport from playing, coaching, and refereeing. It is an excellent communication tool for players new to the game as well as informative to veterans who have not played or kept in touch with new rules, strategies, and drills. I particularly enjoyed the coaching section as that currently interests me. For 15 years, I primarily played tight-head prop (and some hooker, some flanker, some #8, - who hasn't filled in where needed??) and appreciate the "Front Row" discussions - lots of unique memories were resurrected. - I am 61 and have not played a match in 16 years, but I have helped coach a college side at Eastern Kentucky Univ where I currently am a professor.
2455925
I love learning obscure, interesting and strange facts about just about everything including baseball.  So it is no surprise that I really liked this book.  Professor Coffin has a great approach to baseball - it's a game he clearly loves, and he knows alot about its history.  I am only sorry the book covers baseball from its beginnings only up to about 1970 when it was first published.  I suppose someone else will have to write a book about the last forty years of baseball folklore and stories about the game.  But it seems that the older players were more colorful anyway, and the way America related to baseball will never be as wonderful as it once was, even though the game is still our national past time.  Thanks for bringing this book back into print!
2779398
I played soccer as a teen and my kids are getting into soccer currently so I was excited to receive this book and read it.  While the book is written for preteens to teens (and their parents), the advice within in timeless and age appropriate for younger players as well.  The first part of the book focuses on the mechanics of the game including the various positions, terminology, and detailed diagrams on foot, body, and leg spacing.  The diagrams show alternate view when important so that the reader gets a good idea just how they should be placing themselves.

Later sections of the book offer tips on nutrition (like to eat a banana or other carbohydrate before game/practice to fuel your performance), hydration before, during, and after playing, and tips on how to use drills and practice to the greatest advantage.  The part I enjoyed the most was the emphasis on being a team player, being respectful not only to your teammates, but the other team, coaches, and referees, and how to be a an overall positive player.  The book does focus on how hard work and dedication do produce results and help young players to work to their fullest whether they are playing for fun or on a competitive team.

Overall I would recommend this book to parents whose children are getting into soccer or anyone who even plays soccer for fun and wants to take their game to a new level.

Please note: I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
2077959
I coach a U9 boys team and got this book initially for explaining positions. This book, does a good job telling you what each specific position is, where they are on kick-off, characteristics, some general traits of the type of players that would fit well into the role and a general idea of what the duties are of said position. The only thing I would have like to have seen is maybe a shaded area on the field diagram of where each position covers. Some younger players can use a visual aide of where they need to be going/covering. Mirsad also correlates a professional player in the respective position that he's explaining, which is a good example for anyone trying to learn said position. You can go find any of the players he mentions on youtube and see exactly how they play.

This book does much more than explain positions though. Mirsad explains the basic and main rules of soccer, which are a must for any young or new player....and sometimes older ones could use a reminder. He illustrates the rules w/ diagrams and pictures so that his point is made very clear and there is no room for misinterpretation. I actually used his book to explain the "off-side" rule to my U9 Boys, which seems to be one of the most difficult rules for parents, players and coaches to grasp.

Mirsad also lays out the the field, again with well illustrated diagrams, the field size and dimensions, size of all the penalty areas, goal box, ect.., number of players on field, equipment from shin guards to balls....just a lot of basic stuff that players, parents or coaches new to the games, may not know about. Fouls and Misconduct are covered in this book, along with game officials and how those fouls are called and/or punished in a game.

One section I found really helpful and interesting were the basic soccer plays. In this section Mirsad covers some basic soccer plays that can be looked at in their simplest form and then be built upon for more complicated plays later, but these basics give the reader a foundation place to start and see how the game is actually played out on the field. Some things covered here are Wall passes (give n go), Through Balls, Making runs to open space....again, very well explained and with drawn out illustrations.

This is a book that I would say, you would came back to as a reference and not just read it once and shelve it. In fact I don't just read it in order....I jump from section to section and actually use the book as a teaching tool.
2464984
This edition of Dungeons & Dragons is the first one that I have played, and I find it to be great fun! The Player's Handbook is laid out quite well, having comprehensive info on all of the important rules that the players need to know. I am still relatively new to D&D, but I have found the info in this book to be very helpful, answering many of my questions about the game and the details on the rules. The explanations and descriptions are very detailed and visual, giving a good idea of exactly what takes place in the game (such as spells, combat, etc.). Overall, this book provides a great deal of info on what a player or Dungeon Master needs to know in order to run a D&D 3.0 game.
4086164
This book is easy to read,and is filled with plenty of information to advance your games. Joe Andrews takes you through the basics,intermediate, and advanced play in a unique way which can not help but improve your game. This book is well worth the read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3608558
The thing that really impresses me about this book is that is a great book for players of all levels.  I know that sounds impossible but it is true. While not being a beginners book, I highly recommend it for beginners. The beginning chapters will be invaluable as you learn to play your instrument. For advanced level players, this book is excellent if you have not concentrated on notation and analysis of melodic rhythms. I have gone through the whole book and there are chapters I have no interest in studying. Other chapters are extremely useful for my particular needs. When I first starting with the beginning chapters, I thought this book might be too easy for me and show me nothing new. As I preceded, I found that different aspects of rhythm and time were approached and extremely valuable for my playing. Later chapters, while well presented, had aspects suited to players seeking to delve into aspects of time I am not interested in, such as polyrhythms, but even those chapters are interesting, if for nothing else, to understand what they are and how they work. I would not take the time to actually learn them however. It also had some interesting pages in the appendix section dedicated to scales, arpeggios, and modes. It is a very well written book with excellent audio examples. The one criticism is that sometimes the CD might say 37b, but the book says 37 cont'd. I had no problem with this small inconsistency and I am sure nobody else will either. I really well written book in an area that is not often covered.
3515472
I found this book very interesting to read and easy to understand. I am a player of about 10 years and have had training from various sites and this book was still able to implement strategies into my game. This is a good book for beginners and regulars alike
1859653
Wish I had this book years ago.  Designed for youth to 21, this is a good basis to developing a smarter, more communicative player / team.
4468780
A great tool for helping young players lessrn juggling and ball control
177880
I went to my first baseball game at Fenway Park in 1961 when Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris played there.  I have been a fan of baseball for 55 years.  Dickson's Baseball Dictionary is teaching me new things about baseball that I never realized before.  It is a comprehensive book of baseball terms, both technical and colloquial.  This book also provides the origin of the terms to the extent possible.  Very entertaining and educational!  The game of baseball has many fine points that can be missed by fans who do not pay close attention.  This book increases one's total awareness of the game and will provide a higher appreciation of its many aspects.
2255514
One of the best ways to improve at chess is to study the games of great players.  Steve Giddins put together a wonderful collection of games that includes some very famous players and also some lesser known masters and GMs.  The games are grouped by theme, which is really helpful. He also starts off with sort of an executive summary (so you know what is coming) and ends with a few bullet points of the key ideas and/or moves.

The author decided to minimize the tactical variations in favor of lots of text to fully explain the critical positions.  That's a tremendous help, especially to the beginner or intermediate player.

This book has something for everyone.  There are games that feature active piece play and attacking themes as well as coverage of important pawn structures where slower, more positional maneuvering is the norm.  If you liked Chernev's books you will like this one too.  Giddins makes a comment in the introduction that his book is sort of a modern twist to Chernev's writings.  You get some exposure to the openings that are popular today such as the QGD, KID, Ruy Lopez, French Defense, etc.

There are roughly 2-3 pages of text devoted to each game.  So in about 15-20 minutes you can go through the whole game and even review some of the sidelines too.  Lastly, there's a chapter on endings and these deserve some very careful study.  Giddins sheds some light on some extremely important concepts such as "don't hurry!"  In the ending, since there are less pieces, it is vital to think critically and weigh the consequences of each move.

This is a terrific book!
4229213
Although in title it says that this book is for dummies I would recommend it to all players. It has valuable insight into a lot of things. Definitely worth the time.
755332
This book covers everything a beginning golfer needs to know. I even recommend it to my beginner students to freshen up on their golf knowledge. Nicole Weller touches on every aspect of the game from rules, golf equipment, stretching/ safety, golf instruction and taking it to the course. This book is enjoyable to read with great graphics and a fun point system that rewards kids for their progress.  Plus the kids love the stickers! This book is a hit in the junior golf program at my club,  but you can also check out some other great products from The Littlest Golfer at thelittlestgolfer.com.

Thank you Nicole for helping grow the game and get kids started with this friendly and educational approach.

-Megan Padua, PGA, LPGA
USKG Top 50 Kids Teacher 2012
Golf Digest Best Young Teachers 2012
2578418
Soccer IQ, by Dan Blank is fantastically written and I would recommend this to any player or coach. Effectively written, and very understandable, this book explains the flaws you never noticed in your play and shows you how to fix them. For those who enjoyed this book as much as I did, read the second volume and I'm sure it will further your understanding even more!