Book Description
This is a peak performance handbook--for individuals and teams--for skydivers and non-skydivers alike.It's a "how to" book that teaches practical methods and techniques for designing realistic plans to achieve goals.Best of all it's filled with creative and innovative mental training tools that are simple to use and can be applied immediately.John DeRosalia is a master at motivation and performance enhancement.He's been training the `best of the best' both in and out of skydiving for over a quarter of a century.The 2 chapters on teamwork alone are invaluable.The chapter Video Games—the Creative use of Visualization and Imagery, is ingenious, extremely effective, and lots offun.The chapter on Performance Anxiety can make a difference immediately.This book is an exhilarating experience.It can change your life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Fills hard to find niche
If you are a competitive skydiver, it's worth picking up.However, there are better books for non-skydivers, like "The Pursuit of Excellence"

Gave me the confidence to rock through AFF...
Using this book and some other training I was able to gain the tools needed to finish my AFF and do it in style.After failing my level 4 I needed a boost.After reading this and realizing that a lot of what I was going through was normal, and getting my mind in check, I went out and nailed the rest.I've got 12 jumps now and gaining more confidence all the time.Thanks John!!

Bill K.

Not just for Skydivers
Excellent book.Applies to all parts of life, not just sports performance.Gives the best explanation of how your thoughts impact your performance that I have ever read.

ESPECIALLY For Skydivers-and other athletes too
If you are serious about your skydiving, you must get a hold of this book.I'm sure you heard, or read Jack Jeffries' review of this book, he's right.Skydiving, as are other sports, is a mental game.MORE so than other sports because we only have about a minute of "pratice" time, each time we go up.That is important to remember.The author explains simply the techniques and exercises he uses and teaches to fly with proficiency.You'll breeze through it with his plucky attitude, and personal stories that relate to the ideas he teaches you.You won't be disappointed!And like the title says, it will help you in life as well.Mental training is where it's at.Get into the zone and WIN competitions!

Mental training for skydiving and life
I have been a Parachute Instructor for 38 years and I recomend the book to all my students. ... Read more

Book Description
To jump or not to jump--this book answers the question!Here's just the thing for anyone who has ever toyed with the idea of skydiving and wants to know more before deciding if the sport is right for them.Writing for those with no real skydiving knowledge, the author provides a complete overview of the sport, discussing the thrill, the risk, the basics, jump training, safety training, the cost, the time, where to go, what to do, questions to ask, and much more.THE book to read before enrolling in a skydiving class.

* Explains the types of skydiving: Tandem, Accelerated Freefall, and Static Line
* Tells how to go about selecting a school or training program
* Provides a series of questions to ask when comparing skydiving centers by telephone
* Includes Frequently Asked Questions
* Beautiful 8-page color insert ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Flaw in Tandem rig
It's a good book, but needs to be more explicit about the risks
assumed by first time students, especially the 'safer' tandem
dive.

I was determined to make my first tandem jump next summer,
but then I checked the USPA's online accident report and
learned that during the summer of 2007 two first time tandem
students died when they slipped out of their harness during
the jolt of chute deployment and fell. The opening shock jolt
made their bodies do a pike position and they just slid right
out.

Now I wouldn't go within a mile of a drop zone; especially because
this major design flaw in the tandem harness rig should be
corrected; why isn't this a a top priority for their
design engineers? A couple of strategically placed reinforced loops
in the jumpsuit itself, or an inverted Y strap connecting the chest
and leg straps. A wedgie is a small price to pay for the extra safety.
I've seen many pictures in Photobucket or Image shack of Tandem
students dangling so precariously their heads are practically at
their instructors waist. It's crazy.

I was prepared to overlook the infamous liability waivers and insurance
exclusions, but this is too much. I felt sick when I read it.

Please look at the UPSA's online site of accident reports before
doing this, and warn anyone you think might be contemplating it
to get all of the facts first.

JUMP!
Bought this book after my 3rd jump, so most of the info wasn't new to me, although book had some interesting topics that weren't discussed during my AFF class.This is an excellent book for somebody with 0-1 jumps; anybody with more than that would benefit from a book that focused more on safety training and "tips" or advice.But good starter book none-the-less.

Great book for first time jumpers
This is a first rate for book for getting a general overview on skydiving. It is primarily geared toward first time and less experienced jumpers. Mr. Buchanan writes in a very easy readable style. He covers the major areas involved in skydiving ranging from the parachute equipment, the types of planes used, the type of training and instructors available and how to pick the right drop zone for your jump.

There are also chapters on risks and overcoming the fear of jumping. Buchanan does not sugar coat the dangers of skydiving. However, he does go into detail on ways to avoid the risks. He points out what someone should look for and the right questions to ask when contemplating your first jump.

Particularly helpful are the FAQ, at the end of the book which covers most major questions a first time jumper would have about the sport, and the glossary which helps with all the abbreviations and specific terms used in skydiving.

But most of all throughout the entire book Buchanan conveys the shear joy, fun, excitement and enthusiasm that he has for the sport.

Jump!An invaluable resource and a great read
A great read! Extremely well written! The information that the writer shares with his readers is invaluable for the first time skydiver, anyone who ever thought about jumping and everyone who is curious about the sport. The information is well organized and it is easy to find the answer to any question the reader might have. The writer has a great ability to captivate the reader and put the reader in the moment of the jump. Tom Buchanan clearly knows and loves his sport and shares his enthusiasm with the reader. I highly recommend this book.

Blue Skies & Soft Landings
Skydiving Instructor Tom Buchanan takes the student (and the reader) by the hand from the first jump on up. He tells you what to expect and shows you what to do so that you will progress up the skydiving ladder faster while having even more fun.

See the Table of Contents under Editorial Reviews, above. See the back cover description of the book under From the Inside Flap, above. They describe the book's coverage well.

Books like this contribute to the proliferation of skydiving knowledge and are responsible for the orderly development of the sport of parachuting.

As the co-author (with Mike Turoff) of Parachuting, The Skydiver's Handbook and six other books on parachutes and skydiving, I recognize a good skydiving book when I see one. Highly recommended.

--Dan Poynter, D-454, ParaPublishing.com. ... Read more

Book Description
Jump into Naked Skydiving, a surreal yet lucid Rorschach pattern about the life of a professional dream interpreter in the CaliforniaÂ's, just before the beginning of the 21st Century.

Customer Reviews (3)

That's the magic words!
Naked Skydiving, that's the magic words!

Eloquently Written
Naked Skydiving is a novel that is really eloquently written stand up comedy on the page.

Naked Skydiving
"Naked Skydiving is rich with names and colors." ... Read more

Book Description
Under browse information, use only these three: sports>miscellaneous>air sports and recreation>skydiving health, mind & body>death & grief>general biographies & memoirs> memoirs ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Sobering read
kellytwo, your review was excellent, but the first two reviewers
who stated that Jim Craig was solely responsible for his accident
are mistaken.

Craig was in radio contact with his instructor and she told him to
turn into the wind even though he was at low altitude (below 200
feet). Professor Melbourne quotes a leading authority who wrote
"landing downwind is far less dangerous than expecting a novice
to turn accurately at low altitudes."

Drop centers and equipment manufacturers should accept some minimal
sort of accountability. As it stands now they can put a bologna
sandwich in the rig instead of a parachute and be free from any
liability! And what about that drop center owner who was convicted
or criminally negligent homicide (for using equipment recalled as
defective by its own maker) who opened up a new drop zone the day
after getting out of prison? That's unconscionable. And the
reporting of accidents, fatal and otherwise, being voluntary???
That's madness.

Some friends of mine who own a cherry orchard mentioned in their
commercial that some studies show cherries possess anti-inflamatory
properties that ease arthritis pain. Well, the FDA swooped down on
them like Ninjas and made them pull the ad because it was misleading.
I wish the FAA were as relentless in protecting consumers.

Also, veteran skydiver Tom Buchanan makes many of these same
objections in his book Jump! I was considering doing one tandem
jump next summer but I was very disillusioned by this book.
I could hardly believe it when the 'Safety Inspector' at the
school where Jim Craig died said to her, when she came out to ask
about the accident,"All the newspaper coverage has really hurt my
business; I've never seen so few people here on a weekend." Such
gall is horrifying.

As for the butterfly on the cover, that relates to an incident
shared in the book, where Melbourne found a wounded butterfly on
her porch and it comforted her. Considering the 'comfort' offered
by other humans^ ^ ^ who can blame her for turning to insects
for solace?

Again, kellytwo, wonderful review.

Glaring Inaccuracies
I read a borrowed copy of this book and am glad that I didnt spend my money on this. It is filled with emotion and not facts. Every year there are half a million or so people who make their first skydive (tandem or otherwise) and if this sport was truly as dangerous as this book would like you to believe we would have half a million people dead every year. Seriously, spend your money elsewhere if you are looking for a fictional / emotional rendering of reality.

misleading woman
This book is filled with inaccuracies (laughable inaccuracies to most skydivers), and she seems to not want to admit that her son was responsible for the accident that caused his death.


Some of the more choice things from the book:

- She thinks that waivers should not be allowed or mean anything.
- She thinks there is much money in skydiving instruction.
- She think the FAA "protects" skydiving.
- She thinks skydivers are egotistical because they defend skydiving.
- She mentioned that Parachutist showed pictures of skydivers "jumping barefoot, jumping without helmets, ... jumping head first". (My gosh, you mean that dangerous head-down flying!)

The front cover has a picture of a butterfly. (Yawn...)

Appendices include:

- The MSPC waiver
- The MAC/FAA report
- The statement from the MSPC staff

An excerpt from the back cover:

" A true story.... The book to read before you or someone you love tries skydiving."

Biased and singleminded
It is a real shame that this book was written at all, or indeed had to be written.
Whilst everyone obviously feels for Mrs Melbournes loss the inacuracies and blindness in the fact of the facts make this book a waste of time and sections of it a work of fiction.
three key things.
Facts.
Facts.
Facts.
The only person to blame for this accident is, unfortunatly, her son. No-body else.
Shame but there we go.
If you have ANY interest in Skydiving, really, do yourself a favour and give this a miss.

Should be required reading before jumping --
"Aw, Mom, nuthin's gonna happen!"

How many mothers have heard that phrase? How many young persons have the attitude of "It won't/can't happen to me?" Nevertheless, human bodies are frail and subject to breakage, sometimes with only a minimum of force being exerted on them. And mothers continue to suffer because of this inherent frailty. The death of a child-a child at any age-is without question the highest hurdle ever presented to a parent.

One such parent is Jane Melbourne, whose son Jim was always a daredevil-type young man, until at the age of 29, he took up sky-diving. Unfortunately, his very first jump was Jim's last such adventure. His mother, in her grief, while searching for answers, found very few that made sense to her, and so she dug deeper, ever deeper. What she discovered is the basis for this book, which describes the flight and dive that took her son from her, as well as what came after.

Among her first discoveries was the fact that sky-diving was almost totally unregulated by any government agency. Jumpers were required to provide their own health insurance coverage, and to sign a tough, tight waiver that obligated the novice jumper to 100% of the risk, and the experienced trainer to no risk whatever. Jumpers were also required to swear that they were over the age of 18 years, but proof was not always required.

With the help of friends, both hers and her son's, Melbourne set out to change that oversight. To her surprise, she also discovered that there were other bereaved families out there; parents who had also lost a child on the first jump. First jumps are several times more likely to end in fatality than later jumps. But because of the lack of regulations, there was no way for these bereaved parents or siblings to find each other, except by coincidence.

The practice of 'jumping through clouds' is prohibited by common sense, because the jumper cannot see anything, anywhere, but yet that is the feeling that assailed Melbourne and the other families. Details of those fatal flights were not immediately forthcoming, and so closure was an even more difficult process than usual.

All Melbourne wanted was better and more comprehensive instruction for sky-diving students, plus some way to rate the safety of various jumping fields. The military has almost no fatalities for new jumpers, but their training is extremely extensive before ever taking to the air. Hard as it might have been for her and the other bereaved parents, at no time did she--or they--even begin to suggest banning jumping. In their generosity, all they wanted was better education for the jumper before that first jump.

Although Melbourne was successful in gathering legislative support in several states, eventually her campaign faltered and faded, faced as it was by the vast, intensive support and lobbying from the various support magazines (most notably 'Parachutist' and 'Skydiving') and various skydiving organizations.

Ten years later, she readily admits that she obsessed over the details, but she can hardly be blamed for doing so; she merely wanted to know what had happened to her son, and why. Her lament at losing a child readily explains her actions. "I didn't have a spare."

Melbourne is unflinchingly honest, displaying warts and all in her struggle to make this movement safer for everyone involved. One could wish she had been more successful in her quest. This is a book that should be required reading for anyone who even thinks of indulging in such a dangerous challenge. One can hardly call it a sport after reading this very fair, well-researched, heart-felt book. ... Read more

Book Description
A first-hand account of what it's like to learn how to skydive. Besides clearly covering the equipment and techniques of modern parachute training, "Sky Diving in 8 Days" discusses the excitement, fear and exhilaration of the experience. An excellent book for someone who's thinking about taking up the sport, or for someone who's just started. Well written and illustrated with both photographs and line art. ... Read more

Book Description
Flying The Camera, the complete guide to freefall photography & skydiving video, is a book covering every aspect of skydiving for the cameraman.It covers such aspects as gear selection and set-up, beginning to film, relative work, tandems, competition filming, filming with multiple cameramen, Crew, BASE, and has chapters devoted to mixing & editting your tapes. Many pictures and diagrams. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Great Book - Very Informative
Flying the Camera is exactly what it claims to be: a COMPLETE guide to freefall photography and skydiving video.I recieved the book as a gift, along with my first camera helmet.Weldon's book helped me set up myhelmet, site it in, and start filming!The book is great, with lots ofeasy to read diagrams and lots of pictures and helpful hints.I highlyrecommend reading it before you start freefall photography.

Very Well Written, Highly Recommended
A reviewer, an Up-and-coming skydiver: I had about 30 camera jumps when I purchased Flying The Camera.I read the book cover to cover and found it to be helpful in every way.I particularly liked the chapter called"mixing and editing your video" which helped me set up a prettygood tandem-video production at my dropzone.I recommend this book to allcamera jumpers.

Recommended Reading for all Camera Jumpers
I picked up a copy of Patrick Weldon's Flying The Camera at the world freefall convention 97. Mainly because it was raining and I was bored.I was quickly surprised at what a truly great book it is!I have about 1500+camera jumps, lots of competition stuff, and was surprised at how much Ilearned from the book.Flying the Camera is a very well written, very wellput together book, and I highly suggest every skydiver read it beforetrying to "fly the camera." Regardless of skill level or numberof jumps, this is truly a great book.

A Great Skydiving book
I had about 50 camera jumps when I purchased Flying the Camera.I read the book cover to cover, and found it to be helpful in every way.I particularly liked to chapter called "mixing and editting yourvideo." This has helped me set up a pretty food tandem-videoproduction at my dropzone.I recommend the book to all camera jumpers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Children's section book
Upon opening the amazon package in excitment I was shocked to see the book was bound like a child's hardbook. I opened it and was completely disappointed in that they even published this book it gives an overview like all other skydive books but has titled it "Team Skydiving". The book was 47 pages long and 10 pages of it were about what a team skydive looks like. It had a picture and an excerpt of what kind of skydive they were doing. It gave no real purpose for what the book should have been about. I would not recomend this unless you are showing it as a picture book to a 9 year old. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good intro for young readers
This is a good intro to the sport of skydiving for, say middle-school and younger kids. The pix and graphics are very cool and the writing is accessible. For adults and more advanced readers, I would highly recommenda book like Dan Poynter & Mark Turoff's "The Skydiver'sHandbook." Poynter's book is really a must read if you're ready totake up the sport seriously. (Not that you have to read a book to do it, ofcourse.) This subject doesn't seem to have many books available for somereason. I'd like to read a first-person account from some of the s-dpioneers.

Title should be:A Child's Guide to Skydiving
I was hoping for something a bit more substantial. This book is very short and very basic and does not really give you much in the way of useful info. For what you get, the book is very overpriced. If you only want to knowwhat skydiving is then this book will tell you, otherwise I cannotrecommend buying this book. ... Read more