Product Description
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, actor and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a former three-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, as recognized by promotion. Angle was involved in amateur wrestling during both high school and college. In college at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, he won numerous accolades, including being a two-time National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I champion. After graduating, he won the 1995 World Championship tournament. Angle then competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he won a gold medal in heavyweight freestyle wrestling. ... Read more

Product Description
Never Stop Pushing is a motivational autobiography by Olympic Greco-Roman champion wrestler Rulon Gardner (Gold Medal, 2000; Bronze Medal, 2004). This inspiring memoir comes from one of the world's most remarkable athletes who achieved arguably the greatest upset in individual sports history when he defeated the Russian Alexander Karelin — three-time Olympic champ, undefeated and unscored upon for a decade before his match with Gardner — in the 2000 Gold Medal match.

Rulon Gardner tells the story of his impoverished upbringing as one of nine children in a close-knit Mormon family on a farm in Wyoming, where in performing unceasing chores he developed tremendous strength at an early age. Gardner writes about his struggles in school made arduous by learning disabilities that have challenged him his whole life. Also, after winning his Gold Medal, we read how this champion survived a snowmobile accident that marooned him outdoors for eighteen hours in high country. Rulon Gardner recovered from this and went on to defend his Gold Medal at Athens in 2004—yet another comeback from this athlete who was supposed to simply fade away. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

from a wrestlers point of view
This book was great, it showed anyone who read this book that if you put your mind to it, and work hard you can do any that you set your mind to.This book taught me to never give up on any of the challenges that lie ahead of me.I was also able to connect to this book with the wrestling standpoint, i wrestle Freestyle which is different then Greco-Roman, but its another Olympic style of wrestling.Rulon Garnder is my favorite athlete, not because he won the Olympic Gold, but because he work harder then anyone else who made it to the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, with injury and everything, he never gave up on anything he did.When he was stranded in the woods of Wyoming, the "middle of nowhere" as he said, he never gave up, waited patiently for someone to rescuse him.

This was the best book i have ever read, not just because of the wrestling, but because of the lessons it teaches the reader.

Big-hearted Olympic hero tells his story
"Never Stop Pushing" is the autobiography of Rulon Gardner, who staged one of the biggest-ever upsets in Olympic history by defeating the long-standing Russian world champion Alexander Karelin in the 2000 Sydney Games Greco-Roman heavyweight wrestling final.

Gardner's story shocked and surprised me since his gold-medal achievement makes up only part of the book.Instead, as Gardner himself states, the most remarkable time of his life was, ironically, his near-fatal accident whilst snow-mobiling near his Wyoming home.The moment-by-moment depiction of his struggle to survive a freezing cold night while waiting to be rescued forms the centerpiece of the narrative.The description of his ordeal is interspersed with details of his wrestling career and is recounted in full later on in the book.

Gardner also describes his childhood, which is something quite apart from the normal experience of most modern-day Americans.Brought up as the youngest of a large Mormon farming family, he spent long periods alone laying irrigation pipes and milking cows and lived quite an isolated life.At school he looked forward to meeting kids his own age but instead his learning disability set him apart and he made few friends.

His struggles to go to college and get a degree, like his brothers and sisters, form another substantial part of the book.You end up rooting for him to succeed.

Rulon comes across as an immensely likeable, soft-hearted guy.A few of his experiences struck a chord with me and I shuddered slightly as I recognised myself a little in the text.I particularly enjoyed his honesty - he describes crying on the way to an out-of-state wrestling meet after his coach tells him off for being late.I can't imagine many celebrities being that truthful.

NSP is by turns sad, joyful, entertaining and exciting.You get to learn about the politics of sport and how hard it can be for minority sports athletes to pursue their dreams.I would have liked a little more detail at times, for example, Gardner tells us he has bought a house in Colorado and you think, When? Why? but overall this is a remarkably well structured and pacy autobiography.

As an afterthought, I'm reminded of something Vince Lombardi said,

"It is time for us all to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever - the one who recognises the challenges and does something about it."

I guess you could say that this book shows that Rulon Gardner is a supreme "doer" and a true champion of sport.

Great read!
This is a great book for all people, especially those who haven't had everything in life given to them on a silver platter. This book, with its uplifting and motivational stories from Rulon's life, inspires the reader to find the positive in life, and work hard to acheive your goals-no matter how difficult. Although this book is written in the framework of olympic wrestling, it's universal themes will appeal to any reader.

Gotta Read It!
This is a must read for the wrestling fan.If his story wasn't real it would be almost as if it was written for TV.It is very informing for people who already know Rulon, and for those who don't you get to hear the real story behind Americas greatest Greco Roman wrestler ever.It is a great book to give young athletes to show them anything is possible.

Well Worth It
The book arrived on shelves 10 or 12 days ago to little or no fanfare, and mores the pity. It is an inspiring story of an improbable hero and the many, MANY tests and challenges he has faced both on and off the wrestling mat. It is also the story of an unassuming, everyday kinda guy who faced adversity in many forms and always came out on top because of his belief in the idea that you never stop trying until you win. For any self-respecting wrestler or wrestling fan, this is a must-have. For the rest of the world, well, the writing style and prose pose no particular threat to Messer Hemingway or Faulkner's standing in the literary world, but that's part of what makes it such a fun and interesting read. It is a great story and great read. Go buy it. A few more Rulon Gardner's and the world would be a much better place. ... Read more

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A biography tracing the life and career of amateur and professional wrestler, Kurt Angle. ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Mongol Rally, Mongolian Wrestling, Roof of the World Rally, Mongolia at the Olympics, Naadam, Mongolia Charity Rally, Yak Racing, Rugby Union in Outer Mongolia, Mongolian Hockey Federation, Mongolia National Amateur Boxing Athletes, Yak Polo, Mongolian National Olympic Committee, Bökhiin Örgöö, Mongolia at the 2008 Asian Beach Games, Mongolia at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games. Excerpt:Bökhiin Örgöö or Bokhiin Orgoo, literally meaning "Wrestling Palace" in the Mongolian language is a sports complex (arena ) in Ulaanbaatar , Mongolia that is home to the Mongolian wrestling competitions and also hosts music concerts like pop and rock under a lease.A hyperlinked version of this chapter is at The Mongolian Ice Hockey Federation is the governing body of ice hockey in Mongolia . It controls the six team national league in Mongolia, as well as the Mongolian national ice hockey team , whose first appearance in an IIHF event was the 2007 IIHF World Championship Division III tournament, and is currently ranked 45th in the world. They have since taken part in the 2008 IIHF Division III World Championship. In April of 2010, they will take part in the 2010 IIHF World Championship Division III Group B in Yerevan , Armenia .References (URLs online) Websites (URLs online) A hyperlinked version of this chapter is at Mongolian National Olympic Committee (IOC code: MGL ) is the National Olympic Committee representing Mongolia .Websites (URLs online) A hyperlinked version of this chapter is at Mongolian wrestling (Mongolian : , Bökh meaning strength, solidarity and durability), or Khapsagay , is a martial art and a traditional style of Folk wrestling that has been practiced in Mongolia for nearly 2,000 years. Wrestling is the most important of the Mongolian cultures historic "Three Manly Skills", tha... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An aptly researched, methodical tour through Olympic history
Wrestling With The Ancients: Modern Greek Identity And The Olympics by Alexander Kitroeff (Associate Professor of History, Haverford College) especially focuses upon the time span ranging from the nineteenth-century origins of the modern Olympic games to the present day, and the interconnection between the Olympics and Greek nationalism. A chapter by chapter discussion of the Olympic events of history and their reverberations upon the collective Greek psyche, Wrestling With The Ancients offers a unique and thoughtful perspective upon the interplay between the legacy of the classical era, the last century's wars, and the latest powerful effects of globalism. An aptly researched, methodical tour through Olympic history and its reverberations upon Greek national identity.

ancient Olympics in modern-day Greek society
WRESTLING WITH THE ANCIENTS - Modern Greek Identity and the Olympics by Alexander Kitroeff. GreekWorks.com, 307 W. 89th St., New York, NY 10024; info@greekworks.com. 276+viii pp. $32.00 hardcover, ISBN 0-9747660-0-3. photographs, footnotes, appendices, bibliography, index.
The ancient Greek Olympics were the inspiration and model for the start of the quadrennial event of the modern-day Olympics begun in Athens in 1896. "The games will go on, although theywill experiences reforms, but as long as the Olympic movement needs the ideological legitimacy provided by ancient traditions, Greece will remain an important part of it." This ineradicable identification with the Olympics has had effects on Greek self-image, politics, and society since 1896. Kitroeff brings to light the tensions within modern Greece between representing in various ways the ancient Greek culture that is a foundation of Western civilization and pursuing political and economic interests in becoming more integrated into Europe and being recognized as a fully modern nation. With European scholars and historians often ascribing historical roles and influences Greece itself did not necessarily accept, Greece was not always able to determine how other nations and peoples saw it. Kitroeff goes in to these complexities to present the modern Greek mentality and society so that readers come to comprehend Greece in a relevant, multi-faceted, and progressive way rather than as simply a symbol for an ancient culture that the Olympics were part of. In this, Kitroeff also relates Greece's participation in the modern Olympic games. The author is an associate professor of history at Haverford College and coeditor of The Journal of the Hellenic Diaspora and author of many books.

Modern Greek Identity and the Olympics
I've learned so much about the Oympic movement from reading this book, not to mention so much about the history of Greece.The book examines how closely the national identity of Greece is entwined with the Olympics and outlines Greece's preparations leading to the 1896 Games, the first of the Modern Games. The book also explores the classical legacy of the Olympic Games. Much information can also be learned about the history of modern Greece in general through this book.I HIGHLY recommend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Notable Sports Figures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1761 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field, or controversy off the playing field. This work features biographies on more than 600 people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times. It also includes not only the record-breakers that dominated and changed their sport, but also the controversial figures that made headlines even apart from athletic events. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Notable Sports Figures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1398 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field, or controversy off the playing field. This work features biographies on more than 600 people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times. It also includes not only the record-breakers that dominated and changed their sport, but also the controversial figures that made headlines even apart from athletic events. ... Read more

Product Description
The son of illegal Mexican immigrants, Henry Cejudo surprised the world by winning an Olympic gold medal in wrestling for the U.S.A. in Beijing. This is his inspiring story...

Henry Cejudo's remarkable journey follows an unlikely hero from the mean streets of South Central L.A. to the glory of the Beijing Olympics. The first American in sixteen years to win the gold medal in freestyle wrestling and the youngest American gold medalist ever in this event, Henry's grit, passion, and resolve on display in China was a culmination of a life spent fighting-both on and off the mat.

Henry was born into a world devoid of stability, one of tiny apartments and empty refrigerators, his mother on the run from immigration, and his brothers hanging around to toughen him up with daily fights. Until he joined the U.S. Olympic team, he had never had three meals in a single day, never had his own bed, never even had a pillow.

American Victory is Henry's poignant and powerful memoir of growing up in a segment of the American population that is too often overlooked and underestimated, and how he rose above the statistics and the dangers to become a winner-a hero who embodies all that's best and most hopeful in the American dream. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

My Name is Henry Cejudo
//American Victory: Wrestling, Dreams, and a Journey Toward Home// is the story of Henry Cejudo. By the time he was twelve, he was wrestling for his life and fighting for his soul. He is the son of a silent, strong mother who raised him without his drunk and drug addicted father.Henry was angry with the world because of his lot in life.This Mexican-American was born of illegal aliens and grew up in junkyards and shacks moving from Los Angles to Las Cruces to Phoenix.

Life seemed to toss Henry a losing hand.His mother had to work to support the family, but it was she who introduced Henry to wresting. She simply bought him a Hulk Hogan action figure. Henry saw his brother winning wrestling tournaments and getting hugs from his mother.He made up his mind.He was going to the Olympics.

In //American Victory: Wrestling, Dreams, and a Journey Toward Home//.Henry Cejudo tells his impassioned story in a down-to-earth tone.

LIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM
Sometimes you just have to laugh when someone under the age of twenty-five writes their autobiography.This however isn't one of those times.Written by Henry Cejudo,with sports columnist Bill Plaschke,this book is about hard work,hope and everything that makes America the greatest country in the world.Cejudo came from the mean streets of South Central Los Angeles,the son of undocumented parents.He could have easily ended up a "dead end kid".Instead he became,at twenty-one,the youngest American to win a gold medal in Olympic wrestling.I recently recieved this book as a birthday gift.But if I hadn't I would have purchased it myself.It's truly inspirational.

This book makes you proud to be an American
This is the kind of book that makes a person stand up and cheer. It is a great read not only for people involved in he sport of wrestling, but for all Americans. This book reminds everyone why this country is so great. This book is also proof that anything, no matter how hard, is possible. People can rise above some pretty tough challenges and not only make their own life better, but the lives of countless other people. A great read that everyone should read.

Amazing Story--inspirational!!
Cejudo is everything that makes the Olympics special.From the roough beginnings to USA wrestlings Golden Boy, hopefully this will make all who read it feel proud to be an American.Denfinetely worth reading!! ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Arash Miresmaeili, Mahmoud Miran, Masoud Haji Akhondzadeh, Abbas Fallah, Mohammad Reza Roudaki, Hossein Ghomi, Reza Chahkhandagh. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 23. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Arash Miresmaeili (Persian: , born March 3, 1981 in Khorramabad) is a retired Iranian judoka who currently is head coach of the Iran national judo team. He is a double world featherweight champion. He won the gold medal in two World Judo Championships, the first one in 2001 in Munich, Germany, and the second in 2003 in Osaka, Japan. He also won bronze medal in the 2005 World Judo Championships in Cairo, Egypt and 2007 World Judo Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Arash Miresmaili was the favourite for the gold medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics, where he was the flag bearer for Iran at the opening ceremonies. Slated to fight Israeli competitor Ehud Vaks in the first round, he was disqualified from competing because he was above the allowable weight limit for his class. It was claimed that Miresmaili deliberately set out to be disqualified rather than compete against an Israeli, which was interpreted from his own comments: "Although I have trained for months and was in good shape I refused to fight my Israeli opponent to sympathise with the suffering of the people of Palestine and I do not feel upset at all." Comments from Iranian officials and politicians have supported this view. The Iranian state news agency IRNA quoted then Iranian President Mohammad Khatami as saying that Miresmaeili's actions would be "recorded in the history of Iranian glories" and that the nation considered him to be "the champion of the 2004 Olympic Games." Iranian Olympic team chairman Nassrollah Sajadi told Shargh newspaper that the government should give the athlete $115,000 for his action, th...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=899241 ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Notable Sports Figures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1565 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field, or controversy off the playing field. This work features biographies on more than 600 people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times. It also includes not only the record-breakers that dominated and changed their sport, but also the controversial figures that made headlines even apart from athletic events. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Jumbo Tsuruta, Katsuhiko Nagata, Kyoko Hamaguchi, Saori Yoshida, Yuji Takada, Yojiro Uetake, Osamu Watanabe, Chiharu Icho, Mitsuru Sato, Atsuji Miyahara, Kaori Icho, Yoshikatsu Yoshida, Shigeo Nakata, Kazuhiko Ikematsu, Kiyomi Kato, Tsutomu Hanahara, Shohachi Ishii, Jiichiro Date, Tomohiro Matsunaga, Masamitsu Ichiguchi, Mitsuo Ikeda, Shozo Sasahara, Hideaki Yanagida, Muneji Munemura, Takashi Kobayashi, Masaaki Kaneko, Hideaki Tomiyama, Kenichi Yumoto, Chikara Tanabe, Kenji Inoue. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 73. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Tomomi Tsuruta (March 25, 1951 May 13, 2000), better known by his ring name Jumbo Tsuruta, was a professional wrestler who wrestled for All Japan Pro Wrestling for most of his career, and is well-known for being the first ever AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, having won the PWF Heavyweight Championship, the NWA United National Championship, and the NWA International Heavyweight Championship, and unifying the three titles. Tsuruta participated in many sports, such as swimming, basketball, and sumo while attending Hikawa Senior High School in Yamanashi-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture. While at Chuo University, he began an amateur wrestling career. He won the All Japan Amateur Wrestling Championship in freestyle and Greco-Roman as a superheavyweight (at the time, an unlimited class for those weighing over 100 kilograms) in the years 1971 and 1972. He also competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He placed seventh in the Greco-Roman tournament, making him one of the Top 10 Olympic wrestlers that year. Scouted by AJPW promoter Giant Baba, he was sent to the local Amarillo, Texas promotion in the U.S. to train as a pro under Dory Funk Jr. The name "Jumbo" was given to him by a fan contest in Japan to replace his given name,...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=3275947 ... Read more

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The story of a true athletic hero, dedicated to becoming the best. Competitive wrestler, Chris Taylor, journeyed through humble beginnings in Dowagiac, Michigan to a college wrestling career with Iowa State University, and finally on to win the bronze medal in the 1972 Olympics. His extensive career was ended early due to an untimely death at the age of 29. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent read even if you are notsports enthusiast
Gentle Giant is a perfect title for the story of Chris Taylor's life. A big man with a big heart. It is a shame his life was so short. I recommend this as a must read for all ages, especially young athletes. ... Read more

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Drawing on his work with some of the top teams in professional sports, noted sport psychology consultant Gary Mack shares with you the same techniques and exercises he uses to help elite athletes build mental "muscle." These 40 accessible lessons and inspirational anecdotes will help you gain the "head edge" over the competition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

Mind Gym
This a well written, concise look into a gammut of psychological skills related to sport performance. It is also a series of short stories from the author's career as a professional sport psychologist. It is an easy read and well done. What it is NOT is an introduction to sport psychology or a book that can help someone learn sport psychology unless they are already familiar with the topic. Good book, I liked it very much; but not a book from which one can learn sport psychology. It is a collection of stories and within each story there is a skill to be learned.

No depth at all
The author starts by stating how important psychology for sports is. It is.
After this promising start, however, we are presented with chapter after chapter of - well, nothing.
He states something obvious like "belive in yourself" and underlines this with some quotes and success stories from profs.
Great. This does not help at all. I already knew that I need confidence to excel.
No "how to", no in depth tipps, nothing usefull at all :-(

A life changing book
I credit this book for changing the direction of my life.I found it to be a powerful tool in changing the way I view the world.I have given out 15 copies to friends, associates and players.If you really take the information in this book to heart it can help you accomplish great things in your life.The lessons learned in this book apply not only to sports but also to life in general.This book really teaches you the power of your own mind and will.I strongly suggest this book to anyone not just athletes.

For my preteen, teenager and me
"Stinkin' thinkin'." You know just what I'm talking about. For me, it would mean walking onto the tennis court thinking I didn't have a shot to win. Or my sons walking to the pitchers mound thinking "this guy's going to jack me." But for those of you who have quit believing, I have a solution - read a book.

I ordered a couple of books on mental toughness, not for myself because I am, but for the boys to read. One of them is Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence. I had them both read the first four chapters last night, and I won't soon forget their response: "It's the best book I've ever read" - hearty words from a 12 and 13-year old. Sometimes as parents we don't know the right words to impart to our kids, or maybe because we're parents we're just heard less...So I don't know that these books will solve their woes of late on the field, but I do know that they're paying attention to the fact that sports are not just physical tests because until the head is right, the body never will be.

Susan Anderson, author, Cold Case in Ellyson

Great book for athletes
Great book for athletes!It is a great book to give as a gift. ... Read more