Tag Archive: reading

1. How I read: a personal guide

   3rd February 2022 1:02 pm Leave a Comment

   I was asked last week, ‘What’s your process for choosing books?‘

   

   I was flattered that someone thought I had an organised decision-making process rather than the random choices that catch my eye. But, on reflection, I do have a process and when I shared it, my colleague said it was worth sharing. So here you go.

   1: Have good recommendations

   I never choose a book by its cover and I rarely read a book that is recommended by someone who doesn’t read much. There is often a wave of hype about an essential populist book that every coach ‘must read.’ I wait for the Tsunami to subside, and the book price to fall, and then see whether any of my ‘trusted readers’ have read it.

   There is a danger of an ‘echo chamber’ here, but I find that those people who read more have a better perspective than those who just read what everyone else is reading.

   

   My trusted readers include Jane Graham (The Big Issue), Clare Wilson (New Scientist), Mandi Abrahams (Castle Books, Anglesey), Vern Gambetta (GAIN) and Andy Stone (GAIN PE).

   Between them, they read a lot of books from different perspectives. If they say something is good it usually is.

   Atomic Habits (pictured) was recommended to me by an ex-athlete, Sophie Jefferson, before Christmas. It is a few years old now, so it was in the library. I borrowed it and a parent, Steve Baylis, recommended it to me. Neither has recommended a book to me previously but I am glad they did.

   I also pick up recommendations from other books: e.g. Ursula Le Guin recommended Beowulf and Sylvia Townsend (pictured above) in her book, ‘The Wave in the Mind.’

   2: Buy or borrow?

   The second part of my process is related to budget and space. Where I can, I borrow. The books above are all borrowed from the library. They can order them in for a small fee (£0.85) and even purchase the book if they think it might be of general interest.

   Where the book is too niche, or out of print, I add it to my reading list and might buy it second hand from Abe Books if I have the budget. Newer books, usually reference, I might put on my birthday/ Christmas wish lists and hope that nice people give them to me. This gives time for the prices to drop and the paperback versions to be published.

   I try to read a mix of fiction, education and historical/ biography. This year I aim to re-read more of the excellent books about coaching and learning that are on my shelves: there is much to be gained from revisiting books a few years later.

   That’s it, that’s what works for me. Reading is my preferred method of learning (apart from doing) and it is a very cheap form of entertainment.

   In an age where time is precious and life seems too hectic, the process of choosing a good book and settling down with it seems more important than ever.

   Further reading:

   Best books of 2021

   Recommended books for coaches and teachers.

2. Coaches’ Coffee Break: Books

   20th April 2020 10:42 am Leave a Comment

   Reading ideas for sports coaches and teachers

   On Friday I had a virtual coffee break chat with several of my GAIN Europe colleagues. We met for 30 mins and talked about what books we are currently reading.

   

   The idea was to simulate the informal learning that we miss when we don’t hang out in person, rather than a ‘webinar’ or top down lesson. Thanks to everyone who took part, it was fun and much needed.

   Here are some of the books mentioned, in no particular order, and just because we are reading them, doesn’t mean they are recommended (my recommended reading list is here ).

   One thing we did agree on: that the quality of writing was as important, or more so, than the content. This is why many sporting books are ‘bad reads‘.

   

   • Jonathan Livingstone Seagull: Richard Bach
   • The Hobbit: J.R.R. Tolkien
   • Open: Andre Agassi.
   • Mastery: George Leonard
   • The Element: Ken Robinson
   • The Illustrated Light on Yoga: B.K.S. Iyengar
   • Encyclopedia of Physical Education, Fitness and Sports (Sports, Dance & Related Activities: Ed. Reuben Frost, & Thomas Cureton.
   • Physical Intelligence: Scott Grafton
   • Lore of Nutrition: Tim Noakes.
   • A Short History of Nearly Everything: Bill Bryson.
   • The Body: Bill Bryson
   • My Turn: Johan Cruyff
   • Science and Application of High-Intensity Interval Training: Paul Laursen & Martin Buchheit

   

   Our next coffee break is scheduled for 10:30 UK Time on Friday 1st May for any other GAINers wanting to join in.

   Other reading ideas

   While we are on the subject, here is a list of the books that I have read so far this year.

   1. A Slip of the Keyboard: Terry Pratchett. A series of newspaper articles and speeches made over 25 years. The first half is about writing and publishing,which is very funny. The second half is about his Alzheimer’s disease and how he is coping with that. Truly a great writer.
   2. Night Walks: Charles Dickens. Essays on his ramblings around London. His observations are witty and descriptive. I might make Dickens a thing to read every Christmas time now.
   3. What Matters Most: John Doerr. Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) form the backbone of this book. Case studies of this form of management. Very useful.
   4. James S. Corey: Tiamat’s Wrath. Sci-fi soap, wearing a bit thin now.
   5. Calypso: David Sedaris. 18 semi auto-biographical essays. Laugh out loud in parts. Very well written.
   6. The Stinging Fly (Summer 2019): Various. Modern writing, short stories and poems. The ‘Border’ focus was excellent, but some of the new generation are self-indulgent, talking about their writing.
   7. The Body: Bill Bryson. Superbly written overview of what makes the body work, and the people who discovered how. A page turner.
   8. Night Boat to Tangiers: Kevin Barry. Modern and interesting, raw prose. A bit too disjointed for me. 
   9. A Movement approach to Educational Gymnastics: Ruth Morison. Read for the 2nd time, got more out of having taught for 5 years now. Superb.
   10. The Modern Antiquarian: Julian Cope. A beautiful book that comes in a box! Covers pre-history in Britain and how the Romans and Christians wrote over what existed previously. has a gazetteer of dozens of stone circles, henges and dolmens in the UK. Very interesting.
   11. Emerald Eye: Various, ed Frank Ludlow and Roelof Goudriaan. A collection of SF and fantasy short stories from Ireland. Very good.
   12. An Introduction to Movement Study and Teaching: Marion North. Short, with some good ideas. A lot of dance and drama involved.
   13. The Depths: Henning Mankell. A Swedish novel about the navy in WWI. Interesting lead character, deeply flawed.
   14. Young Skins: Colin Barrett. A short story collection by this modern Irish writer. Set mostly in one fictional small town, great prose, interesting situations.
   15. Life Among the Savages: Shirley Jackson. Extremely well written memoir of life in rural Vermont with young children. Funny and relevant 50 years later.
   16. And Then There Were None: Agatha Christie. Good plot, but dated and laborious writing.
   17. Dynamic Physical Education for Elementary School Children: Robert Pangrazi. A huge book, in depth and lots of practical ideas. A must for p.e. teachers.
   18. The Buried Giant: Kazuo Ishiguro. A beautiful, sad mythical tale. A treat.
   19. Consider This: Chuck Palahniuk An excellent book for writers about writing. Useful tips and relevant anecdotes. 
   20. Socratic Discourses: Plato and Xenophon. Part of the Everyman’s library, wisdom from the wisest of all. Hard to get through due to the conversational style of writing, but useful nuggets in there.
   21. Anatomy For The Artist: Sarah Simblet. A sumptuous book by this Dr and artist. Great illustrations, I enjoyed reading this.
   22. Martin Eden: Jack London. A semi-autobiographical account of a struggling writer who burns out. Brilliant.
   23. The Dog of the Marriage: Amy Hempel. Four books in one. A sublime collection of short stories that are superbly written and entertaining.
   24. The Witcher: Andrzej Sapkowski Time killing fantasy short story collection. Meh.
   25. Life In the Universe: Michael J. Farrell. What a collection of entertaining short stories. Funny and well written.
   26. With Lawrence in Arabia: Lowell Thomas. A super little book written in the aftermath of World War I, before Lawrence’s death. Very descriptive and atmospheric writing.
   27. Tales of Space and Time: H.G. Wells. 5 short stories/novellas. Interesting to see what Wells thought 2020 and beyond would look like. 
   28. The Shipping News: Annie Proulx. Sublime prose and similes to die for. A great human interest novel with the Newfoundland coast being a key part.
   29. The Stinging Fly (Winter 2019): Various authors. Collection of short stories and essays. Very good writing.
   30. Hothouse: Brian Aldiss. Classic SF novel set on a future Earth which is dying. A Hugo award winning journey of discovery.

   Thanks for reading, if you have any favourites, please share below.

3. Summer reading recommendations 2018

   1st July 2018 8:07 am 2 Comments

   Summer reading recommendations

   

   Tolkien exhibition at the Bodleian Library

   Half of the year has gone, Britain is currently enjoying (enduring?) a heatwave and my American colleagues and friends are about to have their 4th July vacation. Time to share some of the books I have read this year and that you might want to try.

   The full list is below which you can scan, but here are some by categories.

   I also recommend Tolkien fans visit the exhibition at the Bodleian library to see how a great work is crafted. You can see the amount of work he discarded before being left with the trilogy.

   Reading for the beach :

   • The Expanse series by James S. Corey. If you like some inter planetary Science Fiction in the near future, then this series will keep you busy. Well written, great characters and interesting.
   • A Whole Life: Robert Seethaler. Short, but poignant novel about a man living in Austria. Simple, rural existence and the human experience.
   • Travels With Charley: John Steinbeck. Well crafted and entertaining autobiographical account of 2 months travelling around the USA in 1968. The man can write.

   Reading for the Mind:

   

   Possibly my book of the year

   • The Village Effect: Susan Pinker. Very readable and relevant look at the importance of human connections. If you have a young person on a screen, or an elderly relative living alone, I would say must read.
   • The War Of The World: Niall Ferguson. Extensive history of causes and effects of war in the twentieth century. More geo-political than military account and very revealing. Excellent read (Thanks to Kevin O’ Donnell for the loan).

   Reading for Sports Coaches and P.E. Teachers

   • The Mastery Of Movement: Rudolf Laban. Explains the basis for Laban’s work which led to Educational Gymnastics in the UK. Great at learning how to move
   • In Pursuit Of Excellence: Terry Orlick. A very useful, practical and easy to implement book on mental skills training. It has lots of good ideas and is written to be used to by coaches and athletes, recommended.
   • Championship Team Building: Jeff Janssen. Very usable book with lots of practical ideas on improving team communication and cohesion. I would say entry level, which is no bad thing.

   The Full List

   1. The Mastery Of Movement: Rudolf Laban. Explains the basis for Laban’s work which led to Educational Gymnastics in the UK. Great at learning how to move.
   2. Caliban’s War: James S. Corey. Big space opera SF novel. Page turning excitement with decent characterisations
   3. Abaddon’s Gate: James S. Corey. Another Expanse SF novel, weaker than the first two.
   4. Experiential Learning: David Kolb. Interesting and densely packed text book on lifelong learning. Maybe more relevant today than it was in 1992 when it was written.
   5. A Whole Life: Robert Seethaler. Short, but poignant novel about a man living in Austria. Simple, rural existence and the human experience.
   6. Cibola Burn: James S. Corey. Return to form in this SF exploration novel.

   7. 

      Great book, great photos

       Movement: Physical Education In The Primary Years: Department of Education and Science. 1972 guide for teachers, short, succinct and extremely relevant today. If schools were using this now, children would benefit immensely.

   8. Parkour: David Belle. A short book based on an interview of the founder of Parkour. Very insightful.
   9. Russell Rules: Bill Russell. Mixture of leadership and basketball related anecdotes. Some very good points made, but slightly over long.
   10. The Encyclopedia of Physical Conditioning for Wrestling:John Jesse. Classic text, reread so that I keep a check on whether I have strayed away from the basics.
   11. Nemesis Games: James S. Corey. Book 5 of The Expanse, the crew of The Rocinate split up. Very good novel.
   12. Babylon’s Ashes: James S. Corey. Book 6 of The Expanse, the war escalates and new characters appear.
   13. Persepolis Rising: James S. Corey. Book 7 of The Expanse, set 30 years further on and with a turn of events that puts the crew in more danger.

   14. 

       Independent perspective

       The Wasted Generation: George Walton. A look at why so many US men were physically or mentally unfit for the draft in 1965. Great examples and shows concerns have been there for decades.

   15. Edward Wilson of the Antarctic: George Seaver. Biography of the doctor, naturalist and explorer who died with Scott. Interesting and inspiring story of this polymath,
   16. The Neo-Generalist: K. Mikkelsen & R. Martin. Series of interviews with people who have background in more than one area. Ok for some ideas, but no overall strand, reads like a series of blogs.
   17. Post Office: Charles Bukowski. Counter-culture novel of the Beat generation. Very funny.
   18. What The CEO Wants You To Know: Ram Charan. Short book, but insightful for bigger businesses. Good summary points at the end to help you focus.
   19. Children At The Gate: Edward Wallant. Novel about two young men feeling out of sorts with society. One of only a few by this author, funny and sad.
   20. The War Of The World: Niall Ferguson. Extensive history of causes and effects of war in the twentieth century. More geo-political than military account and very revealing. Excellent read.

   21. 

       Worth reading every year

       J.R.R. Tolkien A Biography: Humphrey Carpenter. Written soon after his death, this detailed look at Tolkien’s life is interesting and well referenced. Page turner for Hobbit fans like me.

   22. Golden Sayings Of Epictetus: Hastings Crossley. Small book from 1917, but full of useful insights from the Stoic philosopher.
   23. In Pursuit Of Excellence: Terry Orlick. A very useful, practical and easy to implement book on mental skills training. It has lots of good ideas and is written to be used to by coaches and athletes, recommended.
   24. The Boxing Companion: Ed Denzil Batchelor. Very interesting selection of boxing stories and histories compiled in 1964. Looks at the development of prize fighting and glove fighting, plus some fiction.
   25. Dr Jekyll and Mr Seek: Anthony O’Neill. Short sequel to the Stevenson classic, easy read, forgettable.
   26. The Culture Code: Daniel Coyle. Eminently readable book about how successful teams create a successful culture. Useful points to apply for many organisations.
   27. Dreaming in Hindi: Katherine Rich. Autobiographical account of how an American woman went to India to learn Hindi. Interesting details about the struggle to learn a new language as an adult and how culture is so important when learning.
   28. Championship Team Building: Jeff Janssen. Very usable book with lots of practical ideas on improving team communication and cohesion. I would say entry level, which is no bad thing.
   29. The Great Gatsby: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Classic American novel, elegantly written and poignant.
   30. The Village Effect: Susan Pinker. Very readable and relevant look at the importance of human connections. If you have a young person on a screen, or an elderly relative living alone, I would say must read.
   31. Greybeard: Brian Aldiss. Classic SF novel about world with no children. Set in and around Oxfordshire.

   32. 

       Excellent read

       Travels With Charley: John Steinbeck. Well crafted and entertaining autobiographical account of 2 months travelling around the USA in 1968. The man can write.

   33. Superhuman: Rowan Hooper. An overview of amazing feats or endeavours such as longevity, memory or endurance running. Interesting, but lightweight. Might trigger an interest into more detailed books.
   34. The Junction Boys: Jim Dent. Graphic account of a brutal Texas A&M football training camp in 1954. Too folksy a writing style for me and I was repulsed by the bad coaching by Paul Bryant.
   35. On Writing: Stephen King. Read for the second time, and it was even better. King uses an autobiographical account to highlight the process, inspiration and struggle of writing. Excellent.

   Thanks for the book recommendations

   Thanks as always to book club members Pete Bunning and Robert Frost (no, not that one) for sharing ideas. The Hayridge library in Cullompton and Libraries Unlimited for lending and ordering books which saves me a packet.

   Also to Mandi Abrahams of Castle Books in Beaumaris for sending me an eclectic assortment of books I have never heard of, but always enjoy. If you are ever in Anglesey, I suggest you squeeze in and absorb.

   Thanks to all my GAIN colleagues who always have a book or twenty to recommend.

   If you have read any great books this year and would like to share, please leave a comment below.

4. Teaching Literacy on World Book Day

   2nd March 2017 7:11 am Leave a Comment

   Happy World Book Day

   

   Interesting and well written

   I hope you get a chance to read a good book. I am currently reading “They Marched Into Sunlight” by David Marannis. Do your children enjoy reading? Without a good book (in their terms) it is unlikely they will learn to read well no matter what ill-advised literacy scheme their school introduces.

   If you encourage and enable your children to choose interesting material to read, they will read by choice, rather than through coercion. If this is football match reports, instructions on how to make a fairy garden or the amount of sugar contained in breakfast cereals, it all counts as reading.

   Children often learn to read despite the efforts of education policies, rather than because of them. My children read well because we help them choose interesting things to read, share time with them and take them to the library where the staff share an enthusiasm for reading.

   Frank Smith on Literacy

   

   How children learn

   Frank Smith  wrote two books in the 1970s about the myths and flaws of much language education:

   • “Essays into Literacy”
   • “Reading”

   In them he debunks the obsession by teachers on slowing down the learning process by going through phonics and instead extolls the virtues of learning through listening and sharing.

   “It would be difficult to exaggerate the complexity and unreliability of phonics…. Children who believe they can read unfamiliar words just by blending or sounding them out are likely to develop into disabled readers.”

   My children’s school told all the parents to encourage their children to use phonic cards when reading. They then abandoned that scheme for another because new teachers found it difficult to understand!

   Why Accelerated Reader Decelerates Reading

   My children’s school introduced a scheme called “Accelerated Reader” about 2 years ago which reduces the process of reading to a competition on who can read the most words. Books are ranked on number of words and each child takes a short term memory recall test at the end of each book.

   Children are rewarded and praised for getting 100% on each test (recommendation is for 90% before going up a level) and targets are placed around the classroom showing which children are Winning. Little communication is done with teachers about the joy and love of the subject of reading, instead the interaction is with an ipad (technology is cool, paper is boring).

   Smith on computers:

   “The negative side of computers in literacy education is that children, parents and teachers will become persuaded that these nonsensical and pointless activities are what constitute reading and teaching reading.”

   He also  talks about the anxiety caused when children have to recall facts in the short term: they are reading to pass the test and this disrupts their flow.

   

   Reading is more than tests

   My daughter, who reads for at least an hour every night of her own volition, was so put off by having to do a test on each book she said,

   “Daddy, I don’t like learning anymore.”

   When I explained this to the school and asked them to provide evidence about the long term benefits of this scheme I was given the following reasons:

   • “Boys are competitive, so they like it”
   • “The local secondary schools use it.”

   I reminded them of my daughter’s gender and then asked why they insisted on using a scheme with no evidence to support it and which had stopped one of the best readers from loving reading. No answer was given.

   Smith says “To teach reading and writing as if their most important uses were for completing tax returns and job applications is like using a telescope as a doorstop.”

   If you pick up every book knowing you are going to be quizzed at the end, then you will simply choose simplistic books to get higher scores. My kids have figured this out and know how to “Juke the stats“. Sometimes we have to do this in life, but we should have the honesty to tell children that this is what we are doing.

   However, if you read books, magazines and Pokemon guides which are interesting, challenging and diverting, you will love reading.  Read for fun on World Book Day rather than have the fun sapped out of reading.

5. Summer reading 2016

   15th July 2016 3:10 pm 3 Comments

   Book recommendations for reading this summer

   

   My current Tsundoku

   I hope you get time for some summer reading (if we get a summer). I try to read more fiction or biographies of non work related people whilst on holiday, rather than technical manuals.

    

   Here are my Top 5  summer reading books for coaches I have read so far this year (in no particular order):

   1. You Win In The Locker Room First: Jon Gordon and Mike Smith
   2. The Female Brain:Louann Brizendine.
   3. Team of Teams: General Stanley McChrystal
   4. Top Performance: Zig Ziglar.
   5. Winners and How They Succeed: Alastair Campbell.

   (full list is below).

   The Japanese have a word for the pile of books that have yet to be read: Tsundoku. I seem to gather recommendations quicker than I can read (and I read pretty fast). I struggle to keep up with those given me to me for our monthly book club.

   

   Book club poster

   I have a list of books to read after attending GAIN  last month. It is great to spend time with coaches who read a lot, rather than the “book of the year bandwaggon” (See Bounce, Legacy, Mindset, Grit et al).

   Top 5  book recommendations from other coaches

   Here are the Top 5 gathered from GAIN, which I have yet to read:

   1. Just Mercy: Brian Stevenson
   2. You Haven’t Taught Until They Have Learned: John Wooden’s Teaching Principles and PracticesSwen Nater; Ronald Gallimore
   3. Physical Education for Children: Bette Logsdon, Kate Barrett
   4. The Gold Standard: Mike Kryzewski
   5. Win Forever: Pete Carroll

   (There were at least 25, but need to filter that down).

   Books I have read so far in 2016

   Here is the full list.

   1. 

      Must read

      Hellicona Spring: Brian Aldiss. Classic British SF novel.

   2. Leading: Alex Ferguson with Michael Moritz. Patchy book from the Manchester United Manager. Some great insights, but poorly written. Epilogue is excellent.
   3. The Dispossessed: Ursula Le Guin. More classic British SF. Thought provoking novel about benefits of true communist, meritocratic society.
   4. This Is Your Brain on Sports: R.E.M. Grand & A.D. Goldberg. Largely anecdotal look at sports trauma stress disorder (slumps, yips, etc.). Some practical exercises at the end.
   5. Anatomy Trains: T.Meyers. In depth look at fascial anatomy. Has many good points, although soft tissue work is outside of my remit.
   6. Canticle For Leibowitz: Walter Miller. SF novel set in post apocalyptic Earth with heavy Catholic bent. Very interesting and thought provoking.
   7. The Hungry Spirit: Charles Handy. Thought provoking book from 20 years ago about quest for meaning beyond capitalism. Much of which has come to pass.
   8. A Void: Georges Perec. Novel without the letter ‘e’. Tortuous in parts, an interesting concept, but hard to read.
   9. My Story: Louis Smith. Lightweight book with some nice pictures, reveals little about gymnastics or training.
   10. Culture And Society 1780-1950 : Raymond Williams. An insightful series of essays about different authors and how they have influenced our (British) culture. Extremely well written and informative.
   11. The Big Gold Dream: Chester Himes. Crime thriller set in Harlem. Punchy, colourful, atmospheric.
   12. The Uses Of Literacy: Richard Hoggart. In depth look at the Northern Working Class in 1957. What constitutes their culture, background and forms of reading. Thoughts on aspirations and constraints of every day folk.
   13. You Win In The Locker Room First: Jon Gordon and Mike Smith. Excellent short read about creating the right culture to help you win. Well broken down with good examples from the Atlanta Falcons.
   14. Hellicona Summer: Brian Aldiss. Sequel SF Novel, more royal drama than SF. Less enjoyable than first.
   15. Simple Rules: Donald Sull and Kathleen Eisenhardt. Excellent book on decision making, goal setting and doing what matters most. Very well written, clear examples, useful tips, humorous.
   16. Secrets of Soviet Sports Fitness & Training. Michael Yellis and Richard Trubo. 1988 book which starts every paragraph with variation of “Soviet methods are better..” Poor.
   17. Pretty Girls in Little Boxes: Joan Ryan. Whistle blowing account of 1990s ice skating and gymnastics in the USA and its affects on the girls involved. Hopefully things have changed since.
   18. Soul On Ice: Eldridge Cleaver. Powerful, intelligent and very well written series of essays written from within Folsom prison in the 1950s-60s. Cleaver was one of the leading lights behind the Black Panthers.
   19. The Female Brain:Louann Brizendine. Excellent book about the developing female brain and how it changes with age. Well researched, good examples, funny.
   20. Hellicona Winter: Brian Aldiss. Concluding part of this SF trilogy. Poignant story about man and relationship with environment and others.
   21. The Modern Writer and His World: G.S. Fraser. Review of prose, poetry, praise and literary criticism from 1890-1960.
   22. Judas Unchained: Peter Hamilton. Overlong SF novel, high on action and scope, but low on dialogue or maintaining interest. Bloated in attempt to become “epic”.
   23. Team of Teams: General Stanley McChrystal. Very interesting book about working in complex, fast moving environments. Uses examples from the Iraq conflict. Must read for people in big organisations.
   24. Sea Harrier Over the Falklands: Sharkey Ward. Insightful book about the Commanding Officer of 801 Squadron and his combat experiences. Details the bureaucracy and inter-service rivalries even when lives are at stake.

   25. 

       Excellent leadership book

       Turn This Ship Around: David Marquet. Excellent book about leadership from this USN submarine Captain. Tells the story of how the USS Santa Fe went from worst performing boat to best. Well laid out and written, with clear action points at the end of each chapter.

   26. CEO Strength Coach:Ron McKeefery. Surprisingly useful read about how to become a strength coach at a US college/ pro team. Quite short, but easy to follow. Useful for undergraduates and those aspiring to become S&C coaches.
   27. Enemy Coast Ahead: Guy Gibson. Enthralling book by the Dambusters leader. An account of his 174 sorties over enemy territory, culminating in his most famous mission.
   28. It’s Not About The Coach: Stuart Haden. Great title, but then goes down hill. Self indulgent waffle, badly written with lots of typos and ill constructed sentences.
   29. Nelson Brittania’s God of War: Andrew Lambert. Interesting biography of the great sailor, leader, diplomat and national hero. Inspiring and insightful.
   30. The Last Stand: Nathaniel Philbrick. Detailed account of Custer and Sitting Bull. Revealing story of the poor leadership from Custer, Benteen and Reno amongst others. Very well researched.
   31. Top Performance: Zig Ziglar. Excellent book about developing yourself and others. Written with sales people in mind, but applies well to coaching.
   32. Why We Get Fat and What To Do About it: Gary Taubes. Light weight read about diet and fat. Interesting look at insulin.
   33. Frankenstein Unbound: Brian Aldiss. Timeslip SF novel featuring, Shelley, Byron and Frankenstein. Clever and interesting.
   34. The Energy Bus: Jon Gordon. Interesting, easy to read fable about taking control of your own life.
   35. The Grapes of Wrath: John Steinbeck. Re read after 25 years. Outstanding novel about the Depression struggles of economic migrants in 1930’s California. Resonates today.
   36. A Guide to the Good Life: William B. Irvine. Very useful guide to Stoicism in the 21st Century. Applicable, relevant and meaningful.
   37. Eagles at War: Ben Kane. Historical novel about massacre of 3 Legions by Germanic tribes.

   38. 

       Much better than expected

       The Pressure Principle: Dave Alred. A look at performing under pressure by kicking coach/ psychologist. Some good points, but simplistic.

   39. Winners and How They Succeed: Alastair Campbell. Excellent book looking at strategy, vision, will to win and managing in a crisis from Blair’s spin doctor. No Campbell fan, but great use of case studies and interviews from many successful people.
   40. Born to Run: Christopher McDougall.  Interesting, but highly anecdotal tale of Long distance running in Mexico.
   41. 21st Century Guide to Individual Skill Development: Brian McCormick. Excellent short book for players who are looking for ways to improve their game. Well researched, transferable to other sports.
   42. The Silo Effect: Gillian Tett. Quite academic book about how silos have led to insularity and lack of oversight. Heavy on financial institutions, but also offers insight into Chicago PD, Facebook and the Cleveland Clinic. Interesting, but dry.

   Other book recommendations:

   If you have read any other worthwhile books, please leave a comment below. It is always great to hear what people have enjoyed, or where they have found a useful insight.

   Thanks as always to our Book Club members , Castle Books in Beaumaris, Devon Libraries, Pete Bunning, Chris Brown, Topsy Turner, Andy McCann and Abe books.

6. Athlete empowerment- gone too far?

   20th July 2010 11:21 am 1 Comment

   One of the buzz catchphrases for the last year has been “athlete empowerment” when dealing with young athletes. The young athletes (a loose term, most of them are recreational games players)are supposed to be able to choose what type of training programme they follow, and even give feedback on it.

   Has this gone too far?

   Is this an excuse for athletes to dictate how and where they train,

   I liken this to the difference between the original Star Trek series where the crew went out and explored and got on with things and The Next Generation where Deanna Troi wanted to cuddle everything in sight. Guess what, the original series stands up quite well (except for the effects) but TNG looks dated.

   At some point you have to stop the cuddling and get on and toughen up a bit; unless your sport requires cuddling at International Level.

   For me, it doesn’t make sense for 16-17 year old school children with 3-4 years of recreational playing experience to dictate whole training strategies to coaches. If I “empowered” my daughter when we went to the supermarket she would stock up on olives and ice cream. O.k for one meal, but disastrous as a long term diet.

   The whole point of having coaches who are experienced and educated, is that it helps shape the training programme for the athlete. I empower the athletes as far as gaining feedback and asking questions of them. but I shape the programmes, in conjunction with their sports coaches.

   I think a lot of it comes down to some youngsters wanting to get a tracksuit, feel part of a squad or team, but not actually having to confront the reality of hard work and dedication that is necessary to succeed at International sport.  By molly coddling them and allowing them to dictate in the short term, we are actually harming their long term prospects