Product Description
It's an exciting time in Fairyland.Everyone is getting ready for the Fairy Olympics!But Jack Frost's goblins have stolen the Sports Fairies' magic objects.Now they're threatening to take over the whole competition!

Gemma the Gymnastics Fairy's magic hoop is missing.Do Kirsty and Rachel have all the right moves to get it back?Or will the goblins trip them up?

Find the enchanted object in each book, and help keep the Fairyland Olympics magical!

... Read more

Product Description

This indispensable guide is simply the best book for beginners to the sport of artistic gymnastics. Illustrated with stunning full-color photographs of gymnasts swinging, balancing, tumbling and jumping, The Gymnastics Book features skilled guidance from a medal-winning athlete who is now a noted instructor. The topics covered in detail include finding a good gymnastics club, qualities to look for in a coach, warm-up and cool-down exercises, moving into competitive gymnastics, managing victories and losses, the importance of family and friends, nutrition and apparel, financial aspects, and a typical day in the life of a competitive gymnast.

The book is also filled with anecdotes and advice from Olympic stars, taking beginners behind the scenes and offering a no-holds-barred account of the life of a competitive gymnast.

Customer Reviews (5)

useful guide if you're considering or getting started in gymnastics
For less than the cost of a single gymnastics lesson, you won't go wrong reading this before signing up for gymnastics class!Very nicely done guide to gymnastics, written by Elfi Schlegel, a former Canadian national champion and University of Florida NCAA champion gymnast, along with Claire Ross Dunn.This book provides detailed information for girls (boys, too) considering gymnastics and wishing to develop their beginning gymnastics skills.The book addresses reasons for choosing to pursue gymastics, what to look for in a gym and coach, how to get started, staying healthy, basic gymnastics skills, recreational gymnastics, and competitive gymnastics.

Throughout the book, there are many photographs of young girls demonstrating skills and techniques.There are also many photographs of Efli Schlegel as a child performing a gymnastics stunt.There are a few photographs of boys, but they're definitely not the target audience.Skills are often shown through a series of photographs and detailed explanations, which are instrumental in showing EXACTLY what one should do in order to master a skill -- such as learning how to do a handstand or a cartwheel.All apparati used in both boys' and girls' gymnastics are featured.

Particularly enjoyable is the section at the back of the book on the people and moments most impacted the author -- she calls this "Elfi's scrapbook."It features Olga Korbut, Nadia Comaneci, Mary Lou Retton, Vitaly Scherbo, and others.

The book looks a little bit dated (copyright 2001), but the information seems current.Although it describes the benefits and fun parts of gymnastics, it doesn't glamorize gymnastics.Nor does it minimize the amount of time and committment that is required in order to compete, particularly at the senior level.The "Day in the Life of a Competitive Gymnast" may help keep your young gymnast from getting stars in her eyes and dreaming of the Olympics.

Overall, this is a book that young gymnasts will return to time and time again, that provides information useful to beginning gymnasts and to parents guiding their children through the beginning stages of gymnastics.

Almost nothing for/about boy's/men's gymnastics
Nice book, but do not be misled by info in reviews here - there is almost nothing on men's competitions or male competitors.I originally purchased it for my nephew, but found that all of the photos of young competitors were little girls.

Wonderful book !!
I really recommend all parents and children to read this
book whether they are involved or not in gymnastics. It
tells you everything there is to know about the world of
recreational and competitive gymnastics. It also motivates
kids to stay fit,healthy,and doing their best in any aspect
of life. It also informs parents the benefits of hard work
and discipline on children .

Wonderful book !!
I really recommend all parents and children to read this
book whether they are involved or not in gymnastics. It
tells you everything there is to know about the world of
recreational and competitive gymnastics. It also motivates
kids to stay fit,healthy,and doing their best in any aspect
of life. It also informs parents the benefits of hard work
and discipline on children .

Great For Beginners
A wonderful book for those who want to or have just started gymnastics, this book will guide you and makes a great introduction to gymnastics. The book was written Elfi Schlegal, a former Olympian, and has many full-color photographs of famous gymnasts and young gymnasts performing basic gymnastics skills. Some things this book talks about are getting started, finding a gymnastics club, what to look for in a coach, eating healthy, conditioning and warm-up excercises, different gymnastics skills, competitive gymnastics, and much more. Many tips and quotes from famous gymnasts are also in this book, too. This book is a wonderful choice for all beginning gymnasts, and a very wise purchase. ... Read more

Product Description
This charming book is the perfect way to encourage young children to take part in an athletic activity and be the best they can be. I Love Gymnastics follows the progress of a group of young gymnasts as they learn simple balances and other basic techniques before moving on to more challenging moves on the beam and bars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

I Love Gymnastics
I Love Gymnastics is geared towards the 3-7 age group.Most of the moves are very basic.Walking o a balance beam, forward rolls, handstands, etc.There are a couple of pages fro boy's gymnastics, and a couple of pages featuring more advanced gymnastics.There are two pages each for balance beam and bars.It spends quite a few pages talking about stretching and preparing for gymnastics class.It isn't that great of a book if you're looking for instructions.It's more of just a story.

beautiful photographs, aimed at beginners
Like most DK books, this one is full of beautiful photographs.It follows five young girls--Jessica, Hannah, Tyra, Tiggy & Molly -- from their first days at the gym, hopping, running, and stretching, through their training, culminating with a competitive meet where each of the girls win medals.Throughout, the girls are having fun and learning proper techniques.

The pictures are very nice, but the text is equally important and quite well-written.The book defines all of the terms and stunts depicted. It explains the importance of different fundamental moves, gives some instruction of how to learn the moves (how to work up to full front splits and box splits, how to do a forward roll and a cartwheel).The little girls are adorable, and excel in different areas.There are many photographs with captions that emphasize the need for practice and perseverance --like "I'm going to keep on trying!" and "I`m trying hard not to wobble"(while walking on the balance beam).

Each piece of apparatus used in competitive gymnastics is shown. It also features the boys events, which is not always the case with gymnastics books.

Overall,this is an inspiring picture book for young girls and beginners.There's nothing too complicated here -- mostly simple stunts that are within reach of a beginner.Because it is at the beginner level, it's not as fascinating as something with more advanced stunts.My five-year-old daughter enjoys looking at all of the "cute little girls" doing stunts, but she`s not mesmerized or compelled to look the book time and time again like she is of photographs of more complicated and intriguing moves, or of gymnasts like Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson rather than amateur six year olds.Nonetheless, the book is still quite well done.

Highly recommended for the young novice gymnast or anyone wishing to learn a bit more about the basics of gymnastics.

Inspiring Book
I love this book. Young or old gymnastics fans would love it too. The pictures are great and so is the interpret. I read this book many times and I strongly recommend it to others.

beautiful, inspiring and educational
This is a great book for girls, encouraging them to get into sports.Shows a group of about 8 girls (and 2 boys) learning gymnastics. The kids look to be around 8 years old, but my 3 year old loves looking at the pictures and trying the gymnastics moves. The photography is beautiful and the text is very informative.

Great information
This is a great book for girls who are involved in gymnastics and are inspiring to be on the team someday.It is geared towards girls probably up to age 9-10.I have a 5 and 7 year old that are in gymnastics and really like the book.There are many pictures and descriptions on how to do what is involved and what they can look forward to as they progress.Great book.
... Read more

Product Description

The true story of the 1986 U.S. National Gymnastics champion whose lifelong dream was to compete in the Olympics, until anorexia, injuries, and coaching abuses nearly destroyed her

Customer Reviews (44)

Don't waste a penny on this drivel
This is a story of a spoiled brat who got everything she wanted, yet she wanted to blame everyone around her for her problems.This may be her story, but it is laced with perceptions and feelings that did not necessarily happen.She was obsessed with her weight when she was around 7 years old.Everything that she blames those around her in her life for doing, she did to herself.

She was never a very good gymnast and was lucky that the Nationals in 1986 was underattended.Also, she was lucky that many of the 1988 Olympians were juniors at the time she won this Nationals.

If you want to read about her taking laxatives and her messing her pants, this book is for you.But she should not be rewarded by someone paying for this ridiculous diatribe.

I'm still reading... Two years later, lol!
I don't think this is the worst book ever, but the fact that I've not finished it in almost TWO years says a lot about the book!

Passion, Skill, Brains and Balls
Thank you Jennifer Sey for finally saying what all of us knew but wouldn't say. The book doesn't lie. I was an Elite gymnast in the 80's and I know this book is true. I lived with my coach away from home and trained with some of the top Elites and Olympians in the country. I experienced the abuse (the word I would use for it) depicted in the book on a regular basis and witnessed many other girls experiencing the same. I did know that coaches threw things - mine did. I did know that coaches were verbally and physically abusive - mine was. I did know that some men who had never participated in the sport took up coaching to prey on young girls, trying to gain a sense of purpose and power - mine did. I did know that girls were told to lose weight by any means possible - and did. I also knew that nobody in my circle was aware enough, brave enough or cared enough to say it needed to stop. If the system was questioned, it was done in whispers, so as not to upset any possibility of reaching the ultimate goal...winning.

When I read the book description, I thought it might be an interesting read. What it ended up being was a no-holds-barred, cathartic journey, providing me with insight that no therapist could ever match. Sey's unabashedly raw and honest writing ripped open old wounds and gave a picture of what it looks like to heal. It takes truth to heal. Because she allows herself to be vulnerable yet still maintain the strength to write the actuality of what happened, we get a complete picture of her journey. I started crying in empathy when I read about the pain and anguish, and I ended weeping with the beauty of it all: the beauty of her life, her husband, her two boys, her career, her mended relationship with her parents. Those things only came about through the process of truth.

I was ready for this book. I am forty-four years old. While reading Chalked Up, I reached back into the depths of what drove me as a child and compared that to what drives me now as a woman, thirty years later. I am glad Jennifer Sey was that great a gymnast and did work that insanely hard because it gives her the extra clout needed to tell this story. Clearly, it takes the kind of passion, skill, brains and balls that got her ahead in gymnastics to write books like this one. Please keep them coming. I will be looking for them.

Awesome book!
This was a fantastic book, very well written and very honest. Loved every bit of it, could not put it down.

Sad, but true.
Loved it. Sadly, it speaks true of the sport even today...not all coaches treat their gymnasts this way, of course. Coaches want it even more than the girls do sometimes...the better their gymnasts are=more $$$$$$ for them and their programs. It was very sad to read about all of Jennifers injuries, most of which could have been prevented if given proper time to heal from her previous ones...being forced into competition while severely injured ruined her Olympic dream. ... Read more

Product Description

Fanciful dreams of gold-medal glory led Jennifer Sey to the local gymnastics club in 1976. A natural aptitude and a willingness to endure punishing hard work took her to the elite ranks by the time she was eleven years old. Jennifer traveled the country and the world competing for the U.S. National team, but the higher she set her sights—the world championships, the 1988 Olympics—the more she began to ignore her physical and mental well-being. Jennifer suffered devastating injuries, developed an eating disorder, and lived far from family and friends, all for the sake of winning. When her parents and coaches lost sight of her best interests, Jennifer had no choice but to redefine her path into adulthood. She had to save herself.

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Voice and Well Told Story
This is a well told story about the rigors of gymnastics that makes many valid points about the sport that I had never thought to consider previous to reading this book. Whether you find yourself loving the story for shedding light on the clear lack of attention paid to the all around wellness of the young ladies involved or hating it for condemning the coaching techniques and intense training required at the level Ms. Sey was involved; this book will make you think. As a former competitive gymnast I had not ever considered the way the many hours I committed to the gym from age 7 - 12 shaped my life outside of my muscular body composition and continued love of exercise. Jennifer Sey does an excellent job of telling her story along with explaining the inner workings of the sport that are not exposed in television broadcasts of tiny girls flying through the air. Worth the read. ... Read more

Product Description
A must-read for every gymnast coach parent or fan this book offers solutions to the mental and physical challenges gymnasts face in training in competing and in integrating the sport into their lifestyles. Included are tips from champions strategies for approaching the apparatus and exercises for self-assessment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Sport Psychology Library: Gymnastics
This is a great book for gymnasts and parents of gymnasts, whether they have just started in the sport or have been competing for a long time. I got it especially for the chapter on dealing with the coaches. I am a seasoned parent with two teenage daughters competing as level 9s. Gymnastics is a great sport filled with many advantages but it is also a very demanding sport and as a parent I struggle with the long practice hours, risk involved (one of my daughters is having surgery this week for a gymnatics related injury) and the tactics of the coaches. This book helped me prepare a letter I wrote to the coach. It also has chapters that are helpful to the athletes regarding the psychology of the sport. I definitely recommend it!

sports psychology library --- gymnastics
It was very helpful to me because it gave me tips on how to improve with mental skills.It gives tips on how to prepare yourself before a competition and be mentally strong.
Very good book -- I would recommend it to other gymnast.

Useful Information
This book is short and easy to locate the needed information.However, I was using the material for a younger child (under 12) and some of the suggested activities were too difficult to implement for a younger child.Because of the organization of the book it made it easy to locate exactly what information was needed.Many simple steps and explanations on various methods in overcoming mental blocks.These methods could be used not only for sports issues, but for issues individuals deal with on a daily basis.Apropriate for older children or adults and well worth the inexpensive cost.

I'll give this book a 10 for being so imformative and useful
Whether you're a competitive gymnast on the club level or a collegiate gymnast, or even just a beginner, you will benifit from this marvelous book. It was written by two former gymnasts, Peter Vidmar and Karen Cogan, who also happens to be a sport psychologist. It will help you improve on your performance by learning how to play the mental game of gymnastics and gives you many strategies to practice and to use to make yourself an even better gymnast that you were before.

This book gives you an instruction of the mental side of gymnastics, and then goes on to give tips about relaxation and energization strategies, positive thinking, mental imagery, developing focus and concentration, and goal setting to get where you want to be. The book then goes on to give individual chapters to each apparatus, highlighting the type of skills needed, mental skills that will help you on that apparatus, and other useful tips. But that's not all- you'll also get information on overcoming mental blocks and fear, dealing with fans, pressure, and fame, keeping the fun in gymnastics, body image and eating disorders, parents and coaches, and much more. This book is a much-needed look at how you can use mental skills to become the best gymnast that you can possibly be.

Sport Psychology Library: Gymnastics
A terrific book for any gymnast that has fears, anxiety, or any thing like that. Peter Vidmar and Karen Cogan have done a beautiful job writing this book. I have visited Karen Cogan 4 times for my own fears in Gymnastics and she recommended this book. It was great! It really helped me in my gymnastics, and now, I finally have a series on beam! I highly recommend this book to all gymnasts and coaches! ... Read more

Product Description
Written by children's authors and compiled by leading experts in the field of literacy, DK READERS capture children's interest and help them learn.

DK Readers is a multi-level learning-to-read program combining DK's highly visual style with appealing stories at four graduated levels. Stunning photographs and engaging, age-appropriate stories are guaranteed to capture a child's interest while developing reading skills and general knowledge. DK Readers allow progression from stories for beginning readers with simple sentences and word repetition through to stories with rich vocabulary and more challenging sentence structure for proficient readers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Basics for gymnastics
This book was purchased for our 3 yr old who was learning about Gymnastics. It is an easy read, but for her we wanted to show a class of gymnasts, basic skills and interest. She will select to read it about every three weeks for so for a few nights still (she is almost 4).

5 Yr Old Loves it !
I bought this for my daughter before she began gymnastics camp this summer. She loved reading it over & over. She wanted to look just like the girls in the book her 1st day and she did but then she was disappointed that all the other girls were wearing shorts during gymnastics. She loves reading this book though and even after camp finished she would project herself into it. She learned alot about what to expect at gymnastics camp overall from this item.

Excellent for beginner gymnasts!
My 4 year old is just finishing up her 1st year at gymnastics & is obsessed with it.So I got this book for her birthday & she can't get enough of it.She has memorized the first few pages & it appears that she is actually reading it!She might not be fully reading yet, but she has gained an impressive vocabulary of sight words such as leotard, stretch and balance.So if your child is six or under & likes gymnastics, this is a must buy!

Great for Young Readers!
This is a wonderful book for young children who are learning to read. If they love gymnastics, they'll love this book. My 5 year old daughter takes it to the gym and reads it while waiting for her class. It is a very cute book. ... Read more

Product Description
Katya, a young Russian gymnast, stays with the Aldens while she practices for the big competition. But someone doesn't want her to win! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

GYMNASTICS:)
Katya, a Russian gymnast is visiting the Boxcar children, but when she arrives things start happening, is someone trying to hurt Katya and what is Katya hiding? ... Read more

Product Description
Now you can teach or coach gymnastics—even if you don't have a gymnastics background—and ensure that every child learns and succeeds.

Teaching FUNdamental Gymnastics Skills is a hands-on guide that provides you with a strong foundation in exploratory gymnastics skills as well as formal gymnastics skills and helps you bridge the gap between the two approaches.

A unique feature of Teaching FUNdamental Gymnastics Skills is the use of specific verbal cues for different learning styles. You'll get "kinder" cues appropriate for young learners, plus cues that address these learning styles:

• logical/mathematical

• visual/spatial

• bodily/kinesthetic

• musical/rhythmical

• verbal/linguistic

The book covers these essential teaching topics:

• Foundational positions and movements that form the building blocks for all gymnastics skills

• How fundamental skills fit together to make complex movements and sequences

• Common errors in gymnastics skills and how to correct them

• Hard-to-find safety information, including injury prevention and tips for spotting

This well-organized book also covers skill progressions and lead-ups for floor, beam, springboard/vault, and bars. Each skill includes practical information you can use for individual or small-group work at stations: a complete description, common errors, spotting information, and checklists.

Additional special features include the following:

• A movement chart in each chapter outlines the skill progressions

• Sequential illustrations clarify skill sequences and progressions

• A skillfinder chart makes it easy to find skill descriptions based on level ofdifficulty

Learn how to deliver effective and safe gymnastics instruction in an educational setting, no matter what your experience or comfort level. Teaching FUNdamental Gymnastics Skills is a great way to get started in teaching gymnastics, build students' confidence, and introduce fun programs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

very good
A well written book though only 4 stars asopposed to 5 as I would have liked some drill techniques and progressions rather than just how to do the exercise. In any case, still worth getting for a pe teacher who isn't sure about gymnastics

A great resource
This book has been a great resource for my staff. The organization makes skills easy to find. It lists common mistakes and how to correct them and also includes lead-up skills and drills. The instructors feel more confident in their knowledge as they help each child progress. ... Read more

Product Description
"WONDERFUL book--packed with information. Super tool for visual learners. THANKS!" M. Maxwell, RI ... These drills were used to produce several successful gymnasts, including NY State Champions, Empire State Games Competitors, and National TOPS Team Athletes, among many other successful athletes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I am a coach....
Her books have a lot of the same things in them....so if I wouldve known that I couldve saved myself some money...but they are helpful books but kind of not what I was looking for..it will be great for other coaches..now this book was good(but again the other books have a lot of the same info) I bought all her books and so instead of writing on each one something different I just chose to use the same info just change if i like this book or not..

Full of Information
This book contains a lot of drills and conditioning (obviously) for running, vaulting, bars, dance skills, and press handstands.While there were some things I already knew about, there were other's that seemed helpful!If you are looking for any of the above information, then this is the book for you! ... Read more

Product Description
Boost your gymnastics skills and performance to a higher level! With the help of Rhythmic Gymnastics, you can master the many elegant and athletic movements in rhythmic sportive gymnastics using the proven European training system—available for the first time in the Western world.

Written by an elite coach and the former president of the International Gymnastics Federation, Rhythmic Gymnastics is the most comprehensive book on the sport. Inside, you’ll find detailed instruction plus more than 200 illustrations covering training and competition as well as body movements and apparatus handling techniques for the hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon, and rope. From artistic movements and adept apparatus handling to the critical elements of competitive success, the book teaches everything gymnasts need to perform their best. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Boring
if you like lots of pictures and visual demos this book will bore you to death. To many words and not enough graphics.

Extremely informative, prepares you to go to the top!!!
Excellent book, so complete, no other book would would give you the physics behind holding a ball, etc. I recommend to anyone who would like a proper introduction to Rhythmic Gymnastics. It even tells you what vitamins and minerals to take for optimum performance levels. It is a book I refer to constantly, I am a better gymnasts because of it:-)

A Rhythmic Gymnastics Bible
This is one of the best, most complete books I have ever read about any sport, and it inspired me to try rhythmic gymnastics, which I now love. A fabulous resource, with plenty of pictures and diagrams, this book includes chapters about body movements, dance, apparatus handling techniques, putting together routines, coaching hints and strategies, competition advice and info, and much, much more. This is the only book that you will need as a rhythmic gymnast or a coach to get the best out of rhythmic gymnastics. A wonderful, fantastic book, and highly recommended!

The Best Book Out There On Rhythmic Technique
This is a great book for coaches and athletes alike.It goes through detailed explainations of jumps, apparatus technique, balances and general dance steps.This book is especially great for coaches because of its detailed descriptions and explainations.Younger gymnasts will need guidance due to technical jargon used, but it is definately a must have for any coach, gymnast or rhythmic enthusiast.

Simply the best book on Rhythmic Gymnastics you will find
This is the best book on coaching Rhythmic Gymnastics (or any sport) I have ever seen - It is so incredibly detailed. Talk about value for money !- it is absolutely packed to the brim full of precise descriptions onfloor technique, handling the apparatus, developing strength andflexibility, dance, preparing for competitions, and more. It also includesmany excellent diagrams to accompany the text, demonstrating beautifullythe form and technique required for each skill clearly and simply.

Thisbook is the ONLY book you will ever need to purchase on Rhythmic Gymnasticsto coach all the way up to the elite level. The book offers many good tipsfor gymnasts wishing to be elite to get the competetive edge they need andto be the best they can be.

I thoroughly recommend this book to all. ... Read more

Product Description
Jenna is nervous about the upcoming gymnastics competition and Brittany's competitiveness only makes it worse, but Coach Barbie helps the girls to work as a team. ... Read more

Product Description
Thirty of history's greatest gymnastics champions are featured here, including such celebrated gold medal winners as Kerri Strug, Dominique Moceanu, Vitaly Scherbo, Jaycie Phelps, Amanda Borden, Bart Conner, Svetlana Boginskaya, Amy Chow, and Mary Lou Retton.

"Everyone sees a gymnast's public moments-- the victories and defeats-- but no one, until now, has managed to bring out such an individually tailored, true portrait of these fine people as artists. Through their stories and photographs, we see a side of these great people which they only show to their closest friends."--Bela Karolyi
... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Fantastic!
This book's main focus is on photography; beautiful photos of world class gymnasts playing dress up and wearing different costumes that mostly relate to their personality.There are also pictures of them in the gym, or doing gymnastics.Comments, thoughts, and quotes from the gymnasts are printed in each of their sections throughout the book.As some have mentioned, some of the results listed in the front are wrong, so that's why I'm only giving 4 stars.And about the gymnasts being barefoot:THEY ARE GYMNASTS!THEY COMPETE BAREFOOT.So it makes since for them to be barefoot in the book.Gymnasts featured are: All Mag 7 members (Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Amy Chow, Amanda Borden, Jaycie Phelps, Kerri Strug), Julianne McNamara, Mary Lou Retton, Trent Dimas, John Roethlisberger, Chainey Umphrey, Cathy Rigby, Kim Zmeskal, Bart Conner, Nadia Comaneci, Peter Vidmar, Jair Lynch, Svetlana Boguinskaia, Lilia Podkopayeva, Mitch Gaylord, Abe Grossfeld, Mariel Grossfeld, Ivan Ivanov, Jordan Jovtchev, Ivan Ivankov, Vitaly Scherbo, and Olga Korbut.Bela Karolyi, Shannon Miller, and Dominique Dawes write forwards and intros.Shannon Miller is on the cover.

Pictures range from Shannon looking like a princess standing on a horse (an actual live animal), to Kerri Strug dressed like a ballerina, to Bart Conner covered completely in gold body paint, to Lilia dressed like a mime, and more.There are also gymnastics poses, like Jaycie Phelps doing a tumbling series on the beam.

A foot fetisher's dream!
The photos in this book are very nice, but everyone featured is inexplicably barefoot.Not only that, but feet feature prominently within these pages.Weird.Anyway, as another reviewer mentioned, the text isriddled with errors even a casual fan shouldn't miss.If you can toleratethese problems, then you might like htis one.

Awesome
This is an awesome book!!!I am a gymnast myself and usually find any other books about gymnastics besides Biographies or Autobiographies about gymmnastics seem to have incorrect information in them.But not this book,this book is great and it is cool to see all the people in that book that Ihave met and see what they really think.

A great addition for anyone who enjoys photography!
It is obvious that Christina Lessa understood that the world of a gymanst goes well beyond public performances. She has done a fabulous job capturing the essence of each gymnast featured, in ways unexpected and fascinating.She has set asside "fact sheets" and scores and has captured whatdrives them to be great as gymnasts as well as unique and focusedindividuals. Easy to read and filled with great photos, this book would bea great addition to anyone's coffe table! It has also become one of myfavorite books to give as a gift...specially to anyone involved in sports.

Okay
Well, if you look at the results in the front, man, are they not accurate!Terrible.Since when did Olga Korbut win two team medalions in the olympics.It has either a lot of typos, or mistakes.The pictures aregood, and the stories are too, but Svetlana won more medals at the '88games than 2.Man, you have got to check up on your trivia, and re readyour stuff.It is OK, if you aren't looking for accuracy. ... Read more

Product Description
From bull-leaping in ancient Crete to modern Olympic competition, gymnastics has been one of the most popular sports for thousands of years. This new Best Book covers everything from the sport"s history to how to prepare for gymnastic activities and how to use gym equipment, including trampolines, the uneven bars, and horses. Aspiring young athletes will also find essential information on related concepts such as teamwork, developing balance, and insight into how gymnastic events are judged. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Best Book of Gymnastics
It is a broad overview of gymnastics.It did not give me the detail instruction that I needed for a beginner gymnast.

All you need to know
I bought this book for my son.
He loves this book.
All you need to know about
gymnastics.
May be it will be nicer with photos instead of drawings. ... Read more

Product Description
With the hottest gymnasts in the country flipping their way into the spotlight, the U.S. has the team to beat in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. After the USA’s six-medal performance in 2004, the 2008 team has a lot to live up to, but they’re up for the challenge! Get the inside scoop on one of the most popular summer Olympic sports with biographies on the gymnasts and information on the sport’s history, events, and competition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good for what it is
I am not in the target age range for this book, and so it does not hold the same appeal for me. But as a gymnastics fan - and seeing as I found it for a couple of dollars - I went ahead and bought the book anyway.

Written before the 2008 Olympics - and even before the Olympic team was selected - it is interesting to see the hopes and fears of the American gymnasts, and to see the speculation and predictions about the competition to come.

This book is really for the younger reader, and is suitable even for those with a limited knowledge of the sport as there is plenty of information for the uninitiated.
... Read more

Product Description
Gymnastics Fun and Games features ready-to-use games and activities to help elementary and middle school physical educators introduce noncompetitive gymnastics into the curriculum safely and effectively. This well-organized reference includes nearly 50 illustrations to guide physical educators in accurately recreating the activity with their students. It also features safety guidelines from the USA Gymnastics Safety Handbook.

Special features include:

• 13 warm-up and stretching games and activities that are also useful as cool-down exercises

• 26 skill-development activities that focus on jumping and landing, balances and poses, body awareness, and movement

• 12 conditioning and endurance activities for children in upper grades that improve strength, balance, and flexibility

• A handy Game Finder for quick reference to games and activities by name, number, location in the book, activity type, skill development, or suggested grade level and complexity

Gymnastics Fun and Games not only allows K-8 physical educators to take a developmentally appropriate approach to teaching noncompetitive gymnastics, but it also makes a great reference for gymnastics instructors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Lots of great games!
I thought this book was very helpful in finding ways to liven up my classes with my younger students.Everyone knows it's not easy to come up with something new and fun to do and this is a great book that helps with just that.It's got games for kids in kindergarten up to grade school and has helpful hints on safety for your kids.It's also got a chart that helps with finding the best games for different levels of experience for each youngster.I'd say that it is a fun book and a great find.I think it is well worth the price I bought it for. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Exceptional!
I bought this book as a donation to my daughter's school library, since their books about gymnastics are outdated and she's an avid gymnast.The book is fantastic!It shows photographs of gymnasts doing intermediate level skills and provides clear instructions how those skills are performed.On top of that, it shows the newer forms of gymnastics equipment, like the vault table.I also like the little text box tips at the bottom of some pages.From a gymnastics coach's perspective, the information is technically correct and sound and the gymnasts are shown with excellent body positions.It is a must have for any budding gymnast as well as for gyms that might want to give their gymnasts visuals about how to perform a few of the most popular, yet tricky skills. ... Read more

Product Description
Learn the progressive system Leslie Webb has developed togymnasticizeher horses whether they re green youngsters just starting their careers or advanced horses.From the series that ran in Practical Horseman, these 16 exercises will benefit any horse, whether he s a hunter, eventer, jumper, trail, or eq horse. Leslie Webb'sgymnastic exercises are simple, allowing you and your horse to focus on and develop one skill at a time. These exercises are:* Simple: They allow you and your horse to focus on and develop one skill at a time. * Diagnostic. Leslie explains how each one can correct an underlying problem that may be hindering you and your horse at home or in the show ring.* Sensitizing. Your horse will learn to tune in to your seat for subtle cues that increase communication and response, determine his direction and bend, and act as the metronome that sets his rhythm, tempo, and length of stride.* Useful. They ll help you develop a logical, systematic warm-up and schooling program you can use every time you ride or compete.* Effective. Guiding your horse through these gymnastics almost automatically puts him on the aids and makes him rhythmic, supple, and balanced. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great exercises to work on between lessons
This book gives you ideas on things to work on between your lessons.If you tried one every couple of weeks until you mastered it both you and your horse would be much better by the end of the year.

Great Photos!
This book is very easy to read and the photos really help get the ideas accross.I bought this book for a friend who is a beginner rider to help her when she rides at home without help.It is a great way to remember lessons when you are riding on your own.

Great Training / TeachingTool
This book gives many of the "basics" of training and riding.I recommend it to my students and we work on all of the exercises.Leslie Webb gives great explanations and many pictures that show the correct and wrong way to do the movements.This book is a great tool to develop a working partnership with your horse.

Build a Better Athlete
Webb's book is a necessary read for any individual seriously involved in horsemanship.Her gymnastic exercises are both concise and effective.
Her insight and discipline are contagious and makes you want to ride better and both help and support the horse. While I own plenty of Dressage Books, this is THE book to go to in order to really make it happen.Kudos to both Webb and Practical Horseman Magazine for putting this series together.

Not what I expected - been there done that.
I have a ton of books and unfortunately, this isn't what I expected.Though the exercises are well illustrated and clearly defined, I was looking for a really good "fitness" book for my well trained animals! I wanted something different, unique.All of theses exercises can be found in any well written dressage book. ... Read more

Product Description
Grab a pencil. Relax. Then take off on a mind-boggling journey to the ultimate frontier of math, mind, and meaning as acclaimed author Clifford Pickover, Dorothy, and Dr. Oz explore some of the oddest and quirkiest highways and byways of the numerically obsessed. The thought-provoking mysteries, puzzles, and problems range from zebra numbers and circular primes to Legion's number--a number so big that it makes a trillion pale in comparison. The strange mazes, bizarre consequences, and dizzying arrays of logic problems entertain readers at all levels of mathematical sophistication. The tests devised by enigmatic Dr. Oz to assess human intelligence will tease the brain of even the most avid puzzle fan. They feature a host of mathematical topics: geometry and mazes, sequences, series, sets, arrangements, probability and misdirection, number theory, arithmetic, and even several problems dealing with the physical world. With numerous illustrations, this is an original, fun-filled, and unusual introduction to numbers and their role in creativity, computers, games, practical research, and absurd adventures that teeter on the edge of logic and insanity. Clifford A. Pickover is the author of over twenty highly acclaimed books on such topics as computers and creativity, art, mathematics, black holes, human behavior and intelligence, time travel, alien life, and science fiction. Among his books are Computers, Pattern, Chaos, and Beauty (St. Martin's Press, 1990), Wonders of Numbers (Oxford University Press, 2000), Dreaming the Future (Prometheus, 2001), The Zen of Magic Squares, Circles, and Stars (Princeton University Press, 2001), The Stars of Heaven (Oxford University Press, 2001), The Paradox of God and the Science of Omniscience (Palgrave, 2002). A Ph.D. graduate of Yale University, he is a prolific inventor with dozens of patents, the associate editor for several journals, the author of colorful puzzle calendars, and puzzle contributor to adult and children's magazines. Pickover's computer graphics have been featured on the cover of many popular magazines and on T.V. shows. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Your mental mathematical muscles will be stretched
Clifford Pickover is a fountain of ideas, and in this book, he presents a set of puzzles and problems that display some of those ideas. They range from the simple to the hard, and the premise is that Dorothy has been abducted by the alien Dr. Oz and his assistant Mr. Plex. Dr. Oz presents the puzzles to Dorothy with the general caveat that she will be rewarded if she can solve them. All of the puzzles are given a difficulty rating, although there are times when the rating seems inaccurate.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and got so involved with a few of the problems that I used them as the basis for a presentation I made to a gathering of college and university mathematicians. It will stretch your mental mathematical muscles.

The Mathematics of Oz: Mental Gymnastics from Beyond the Edge
Awesome blend of stories mixing in some interesting puzzles.Being a Kansas girl, I was intrigued by the entertaining story line set in the "Sunflower state".My son graduated from the Unversity of Kansas and there is a fictional story of the campus in the book that builds toward a puzzle.I gave the book tomy son on his 25th birthday and I had marked the KU story.He turned to it and was totally endeared to the book.Couldn't be a better present for anyone who loves Kansas or puzzles.Just great!!!

What is interesting and what solvable?
I prefer mathematical puzzles that have two features:
- they are interesting (i.e. they have that difficulty that make them worth trying to solve);
- they are solvable without developing a whole new theory and without writing program code.
In this book most problems that are interesting (very interesting and intriguing, I must admit) are not solvable in the foresaid sense, and most solvable ones are not interestin. Of course, a few are both. The picture sequences to be completed are very original, and sometimes difficult, examples of QI tests.
However, in spite of that slight flaw, I have really enjoyed reading it. It may depends on my appreciation of Oz novels and movie, and even if this book is not likely to mark the history of mathematical entertainment, it remains a worthy reading.

A true mathematical wonderland
This wonderful mathematical puzzle book has over 100 puzzles sure to delight readers -- from kids to adults.The problems include: mazes, sequences, probability, and more.Most puzzles are very clever and fun.I liked considering the yellow-brick road that crosses America.How many bricks would it take?I also liked the zebra numbers and circular primes.Legion's number is a number so big that it makes a a billion look puny.

Anyone who has pondered the vastness of our mathematical universe will love this book.

Math Puzzles from another Universe!
I found the puzzles and problems in this book to be original and varied, and with a wide range of difficulty levels. I enjoyed the fact that some puzzles might actually have more than one answer, which leaves room for healthy debate and for better understanding the way different people think.I think this book can be enjoyed by readers of different levels of mathematical sophistication.For example, a freshman in high school could skip the more difficult problems, like the one on Ramanujan Congruences, although this is one of the most interesting chapters.My favorite chapter is one that poses a statistics-like question, dealing with bones thrown into a pit.You have to figure out the ratio of the long piece to the short piece. Here's a sample of other chapters that I really enjoyed:

1. The Yellow-brick Road
2. An Experiment with Kansas
8. The Problem of the Bones
16. Omega Sphere
28. Legions' Number
29. The Problem of the Tombs
35. Prime-poor Equations
36. Number Satellite
43. Ramanujan Congruences and the Quest for Transcendence
49. The Jellyfish of Europa
99. A Connection Between Pi and e
103. The Scarecrow Formula
107. The Omega Crystal
108. Attack of the Undulating Undecamorphs

I've already spent hours reading and rereading the book, and showing it to friends, and I know I'll spend many hours more! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent presentation of practical gymnastic techniques
This very comprehensive presentation covers all gymnastic events, for both men and women. It can't cover everything, no one book could, but it is stunning in the breadth of its coverage. If you have looked for a practical book on gymnastics as a gymnast, a coach, or a parent, you know just how limited the selection is.Those few books that make a serious attempt to get across more than a minimum amount of information frequently use stick figures or other line drawings to save money.Money may be saved, but a great deal of detail and useful information is lost as well.Photos just do the job so much better.This book is the best I've ever seen in that regard.It's 400+ pages are crammed full of photos, easily numbering more than 1500, intelligently done and beautifully presented from a coach's perspective.It is an excellent source for any trainer or coach and could easily help an intelligent gymnast to gain a fuller understanding of what s/he is doing and why.Beyond the photos, the written commentary is just as practical and comprehensive, to the point of including practical tips for spotters.In a nutshell, this book has no competition in its class.If you're in the market for a book that serves as a tool that you can use every day as opposed to some sort of vague "resource", buy this one. The only reason I didn't give it a "10" is a male gymnast's natural dislike for a perfect score AND my desire for more, more, more! - Bob Adams ... Read more