Product Description

Many winter athletes are interested in increasing lean body mass and developing power and endurance to improve performance. This book provides both recreational and competitive winter athletes with the cutting edge sports nutrition advice needed to achieve their goals. Section one provides an overview of nutritional guidelines for good health and optimal exercise, training, and competition, including guidelines for choosing proper foods. Section two focuses on the daily training diet and helps athletes create meal plans for their own particular needs. A final section addresses detailed nutrition guidelines specific to each sport.

Did you know all that warmth-trapping ski gear you’re sporting could increase your sweat rate and put you at risk for dehydration? Or as a female cross-country skier you may need to replenish energy at the rate of 3,000 calories a day to stay at peak level? Ryan tackles these and other winter-sport-specific nutrition topics in her new book, full of practical strategies for staying fueled up and maximizing recover—including day-by-day meal plans, a guide to the best performance-boosting in-season fruits and veggies, and tips for taking in fluids in below-freezing temps. If you have kids or play team sports yourself, check out Ryan’s other new release, Performance Nutrition for Team Sports. —HerSports magazine, Jan/Feb 2006 issue

Performance Nutrition For Winter Sports by Monique Ryan is a wonderful reference and guideline for applying sound nutritional principles that will enhance our skiing performance, both cross country and downhill. Whether you’re a racer or a recreational skier, there is plenty of advice on how to get the most out of your trips to the slopes. Useful meal plans and recipes, too. —MichiganSkier.com

If you're a cold-weather athlete, Ryan has suggestions on what to eat and when to eat it, with tips geared for cross country skiers, snowshoers, downhill skiers, snowboarders and hockey players. There's information on what kind of nutrition you need when you're training, recovering or in the middle of competition. The impacts of caffeine, sports drinks and carbo-loading are addressed, along with the different nutritional needs of women, youth and masters athletes. There are sample menus, data on sports bars, explanations on the benefits of fish oil and suggestions for the best winter fruit and vegetable choices. —St. Paul Pioneer Press

Ingredients for Success: Ryan’s New Book Offers Know-How for Athletes Long Left Out in the ColdBy Sarah Tuff for Ski Racing magazine, 12/27/05

Marathoners learn how to carbo-load about the same time they first lace up their shoes; cyclists have their gel and sports-drink intake down to a science. But until now, about the only "winter" you’d find in performance-diet books was winter squash, touted by dieticians as a top pick for beta-carotene.

While the U.S. Ski Team already has Susie Parker-Simmons, a sport dietitian and physiologist, on staff, the rest of the competitive winter-weather sports world now has its own food guide: Monique Ryan’s Performance Nutrition for Winter Sports, released this fall by Peak Sports Press (an imprint of VeloPress, owned by Ski Racing’s parent company, Inside Communications). The 266-page volume fills a long-empty space on bookstores’ shelves left by a lack of sound nutritional advice for alpine skiers, cross-country skiers, snowshoers and hockey players.

Ryan, a former competitive athlete who runs a Chicago-based nutrition-consulting company, digs deep into the science of nutrients that should fuel winter sports, thoroughly examining such debates as the amount and type of sugar in an athlete’s diet, the benefits of fatty acids and practical uses of sports nutrition products such as gels, shakes and bars.

Ryan begins with the basics of hydration, reminding racers that whether you are trainnig and competing in hot weather or cold, "your body loses about 64 to 80 ounces (2 to 2.4 liters) of fluid daily through the urine, feces, skin and lungs." Later, Ryan also reveals: "Water loss in the cold also occurs when you inhale cold air. Your lung passages warm the air and saturate it when water. When you exhale this air saturated with water, there is fluid loss. Fluid losses from your lungs can add up to more than 1 quart (about 1 liter) daily when you are outdoors for a day of training in the cold."

Similar surprising facts fill each chapter; later, when presenting the protein content of plant foods, she points to a cup of tempeh as having an astonishing 39 grams, the same amount as a sirloin steak. Ryan also includes healthy body-fat levels: For male alpine skiers, it’s 7 to 14 percent; female alpine skiers should have about 21 percent body fat.

Another subject Ryan explores at length is the quest for just the right cocktail combination of vitamins and minerals. "Keep in mind that the hazards of vitamin and mineral overdosing are real and can be subtle," Ryan writes. Less subtle are the dangers of certain ergogenic aids, and Ryan is skeptical of some supplements that may be legal but not proven safe or even successful, while pointing to the beneficial effects of others. "Creatine loading appears to benefit resistance training," she writes.

Instead of simply recommending what racers select for their diets, Ryan presents the chemistry behind racecourse success, explaining the three energy systems from which we obtain fuel — phosphagen, anaerobic glycolysis and aerobic — and how they affect winter athletes.

Even if you scored a C in chemistry, you’ll close the book with a clear idea of how to eat better this season. Most useful are the sport-specific parts, in which Ryan considers the needs of each type of athlete. In one chapter, she delineates how the diet of a 16-year-old male cross-country skier should differ from a female masters alpine racer. Later, she offers a blow-by-blow meal plan for an alpine skier, varied by competition and training days. Just as there’s no "one-size-fits-all" approach to winter sports, there’s no single diet that will work for every day of the year; Ryan presents straightforward information on periodization, even providing suggestions for periodizing your recovery nutrition plan. Daily nutritional recovery is also examined carefully, with a table outlining what sort of refueling should follow each type of training session: aerobic, interval, endurance, resistance and running gates. Pregnant athletes, vegetarians and vegans are also given innovative, thoughtful tips.

The only element missing in the comprehensive Performance Nutrition for Winter Sports is a section of recipes — Ryan’s a nutritional consultant, not a chef. But Ski Racing persuaded her to relinquish a couple of her favorite creations for the cold months. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

MichiganSkier.com review
Performance Nutrition For Winter Sports by Monique Ryan is a wonderful reference and guideline for applying sound nutritional principles that will enhance our skiing performance, both cross country and downhill. Whether you're a racer or a recreational skier, there is plenty of advice on how to get the most out of your trips to the slopes. Useful meal plans and recipes, too. -MichiganSkier.com ... Read more

Product Description
Updated and expanded edition of a classic health reference.

A newly revised and updated edition of this authoritative guide-including almost 200 athletic and exercise injuries, 75 of the common illnesses that often affect athletes, and an illustrated section on rehabilitation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good General Purpose Information
The 1986 version will allow a reasonable understanding of what to do or not to do.
The book is well laid out with a great deal of useful information in the 500 plus pages.
The 173 most common injuries is the major portion of the book consuming 420 pages.
Each injury has normal anatomy portrayed as well the injury.
If you had a situation with ribs you could readon: dislocation, fracture, sprain or strain.
The four major headings on strains are General Information, What To Expect, How To Treat and Call Your Doctor If.
Under 1st Heading: Definition, Body Parts Involved, Signs & Symptoms, Causes, Risk Increases With, How To Prevent. Under 2nd heading
Appropriate Health Care, Diagnostic Measures, Possible Complications, Probable Outcome. Under 3rd: Note, First Aid, Continuing Care, Medication, Activity, Diet, Rehabilitation.
To have produced the volume in a different format would probably substantially increased the price with no possible benefits.
What it does do is allow for moderate understanding and to be somewhat converscent.
Since injuries are somewhat traumatising having go to information is reasuring as well as potentisally comforting.
The roughly 80 other pages are Sports, Exercise & Your Health, Normal Anatomy, Guide To Sports -Injury Charts, Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation, Emergency First Aid ,Apendices, Glossary, Index, Metric Conversion Chart.
I would give 5 stars if strictly asked my opinion but am in no way a professional in the field.
This person finds it complements other books without duplicating.

wrong book
This book was like the medication book. Don't like its format.Would prefer something more like a coffee table book, with pictures. This is just a bunch of list. ... Read more

Product Description
Now, boost your hockey talents with this up-to-the minute guide for the player, coach and fan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Exactly what this adult hockey student needed!
Ok, so I'm over 40 and have just been learning how to "hockey skate" and now I find myself in my first hockey "skills & drills" class at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex, practice ice/facility of the Washington Capitals. This class is so popular, that it sells out well in advance and many of the 35+ students are repeats (as I will be for the next session).

I was lost - I'm not enough of a life-long hockey fan or past player who already understood the fundamentals and so many of the guys and gals already knew what they were doing.I felt like if I asked simple questions I'd be disrupting the flow of the class (shouldn't be that way, I know, but it's how I felt).So I bought a couple of books to bridge the gap in my ignorance.

I am SO PLEASED with this book - it was exactly what I was looking for! Chapter by chapter, it breaks hockey play down into the essential elements I needed to understand - offense, defense, positions, strategy, scenario-based plays, etc.It also went over several drills which means that when they were introduced in class, I had already been exposed to them in writing.

In the locker room after the second class, another newbie expressed the same concerns I was having.I shared my book with him and when he returned it the next week, it was like a veil had been lifted for him, too.I'm going to recommend that the instructors provide a copy of this book to every newbie, every session!

If you like to read an auto repair manual that breaks down the way an engine works or a computer/tech book that explains in plain English how to use your computer or build a web page, then you'll love this book, too.

A Great Book to Learn From
This book is truly a very good book for learning how to play the wonderful game of hockey both at the beginner level and advanced level.At the beginner level it shows and tell you how to skate, stop turn, foward and backward crossovers. It also has rules of the game which are especially helpful for the beginner level. It has drills that one should perform to get better.For the intermediate through advanced level it has even more drillsand techniques that even the beginners should get to know.It shows how to shoot the puck defensive, offensive and even goalie tactics.It has a conditioning with nutrition chapter, pregame stretches and even the mental game.And finally at the end it even tells you how to build a rink and how to organize and coach a team.Even if you think you know everything about hockey I can almost guarantee you there is something in this 220 page hockey-training masterpiece.I've been playing for only two years and I have learned a ton from this book and you will most definitely too.

A comprehensive guide for new players
I've bought about 7 or 8 books on various aspects of hockey over the pastfew weeks, and each has taught me something, but I really needed one thatcould tell me *how the game is played* -- where I'm supposed to be and whatI'm supposed to be doing in different situations. This book did just thatby explaining the basics of offense and defense with both text andeasy-to-follow diagrams. I have a good overall sense of the game now, aswell as specific admonishments to keep in mind (like not to chase a puckcarrier behind the goal, and not to follow crisscrossing forwards whenbackchecking). I plan to read this book again in a month (after I've playeda few games on an organized team), and I fully expect to absorb even more.

Excellent for beginners learning the basics of ice hockey.
My team, the San Francisco Earthquakes, has several beginner players. Most of them had been to beginner hockey classes, but they still didn't know many of the basics. I set out to find a book that would provide these basiclessons and answer many of the new players' questions. I looked at severalbooks, but this one had the best fit. It is written for beginners, but willalso serve experienced players who need to review the basics.What to do,where to be, how to shoot, when to pass? These questions and many more areall answered clearly and simply. This is a book for beginners. Intermediateand advanced players may be looking for more insight than this bookprovides. My teammates now know what to do most of the time. If they'd onlyskate a little harder... ... Read more

Product Description
Tyler discovers his inner superstar. (RL 3.8) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Rookie/Superstar!
Riley Judd is a super hockey player, but undisciplined and selfish!Tyler Watson is just glad to be on the team.He's definitely not the greatest player and he definitely doesn't play to his full potential.The coachteams them up to help the underpriveledged ADD kids and to help each other. One to look beyond himself and stop showboating and the other to begin toplay up to his full potential. Riley and Tyler can't stand each other andthat is an understatement! Through helping the kids and unraveling themystery of the kool-aid tampering, they learn to care for others, do theirbest, and become really great friends.What a great book. ... Read more

Product Description

From speed skating to snowboarding, bobsleigh to ice hockey, this encyclopedia book gives the medals tables, timings, distances, and scores of every event, and provides vital information on rules and scoring systems. But much more than a statistical compendium, the book also offers a wealth of Winter Olympic history, anecdote, and lore, bringing alive the most dramatic moments from the Games and celebrating the many extraordinary individuals who have competed. It covers each event, Games by Games, from the four skating events which first featured in the 1908 London Olympics to freestyle skiing and curling—including discontinued events. With the top eight placings for every event at every Winter Olympics, plus descriptions of rules and scoring for all 2010 events, and hundreds of anecdotes, from the astonishing to the bizarre, this is an indispensable guide for all fans.

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent!
This is the most complete book about the Winter Olympics available.It's the complementary book to the Summer Olympics.What you get is all the results and historical vignettes to most of the events.

Good information. Lot of errors
I got this book to update the one I had to the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow (The 2008 Edition did that for the Summer version and it was well done). This book has a lot of errors in it. For Nordic combined, it lists the old event of 7.5 km sprint and 15 km individual even though both events changed in late 2008 to 10 km individual large hill and 10 km individual normal hill. No details provided of the Gundersen system point time differential for competitiors in the individual and team event.

There is no mention of ski cross in the freestyle skiing section which will debut at this year's Olympics.

For cross country skiing on the combined/ double pursuit, the events listed are not accurate. 1992-8 were 10 km + 15 km combined men & 5 km + 10 km combined women, both separate days. 2002 was 10 km + 10 km combined men and 5 km + 5 km combined women, same day at seperate times. Since 2006, it has been 7.5 km + 7.5 km double pursuit women and 15 km + 15 km double pursuit men, a duathlon event. No explanation given for event.

For the knowledge that Wallechinsky and Loucky have with the Olympics, this left something to be desired.

Not what I expected
If you are looking for a book that spends a lot of time going over past olympics medal placings,...this is for you.Not a lot on the specific sports. ... Read more

Product Description
The first authoritative guide for keeping female athletes healthy and injury free

Women's and girls' participation in sports grows exponentially every year, and everyone knows that women's bodies are constructed differently from men's, yet there have been no books on sports injury and health specific to a female athlete's needs.

Until now.

In The Female Athlete's Body Book, Dr. Gloria Beim--orthopedic surgeon, physician for the U.S. National Track Cycling Team, and accomplished athlete--presents the first authoritative sourcebook for every female athlete who wants to get in the game and stay there. She provides sound advice on an array of concerns including:

• How to minimize injury while enhancing sports performance
• Nutrition and training for top performance and lifelong health
• The specific needs of younger, pregnant, and mature athletes
• How to fight menstrual problems, bone loss, and eating disorders
• What to do when an injury occurs

Customer Reviews (17)

Female Athlete's "must know" book
This book should be read by all coaches/trainers of female athletes. The female body has restrictions that may not be taken into consideration when training programs are designed. This book helps everyone understand the needs of the female body in relation to the stresses of competition.

WHERE'S TRACK AND FIELD?

i haven't read the book because in the table of contents there is no track?

Major ommission.Sprinting is a major sport.It also causes numerous injuries - hamstring and hip tears and pulls.

I was going to buy this book for my nieces (15 and 16 yrs) - track stars.I was also interested as i am a sprinter as well.

sarah graves

It's about time!
This is the first book that I've found that is by both a sports authority, sports enthusiast and well known medical writer.It's is great to have a source of information that is both credible, easily searchable and very useful to me as both an athelete and a women!Great job!

Every parent of a female athlete should keep this book close
One of my daughters was an MVP Basketball player in high school. She worked hard, played hard and certainly took her share of injuries. My second daughter was a tennis player. I wish I had this book back then - the sprains, knee injuries, "collision" injuries, tennis elbow and shoulder strains they sustained during game times maybe could have been avoided with better strength training exercises as outlined. As an active, health conscious person myself, I certainly found the guidelines and exercises for the mature female athlete very informative as well. This well-thumbed book has made its way into the hands of several of my friends and was also presented to each of my daughters for when they have their own little "female" athlete!

Finally, a book that understands the "female" athlete!
Having raised a swimmer, bowler and softball girl we're very familiar with muscle pains, pulled ligaments and shoulder and neck issues. It's nice to hear something other then "ice it and elevate it"! Female bodies are different than male bodies, particularly during puberty, and it is nice to be able to identify and commiserate with other females on common (and not so common) injuries and the correct preventative measures to take both on and off the field. Bravo! to Gloria Beam and Ruth Winter for a well written and informative book! ... Read more

Product Description
In this work, these two National Outdoor Leadership School instructors offer lots of tried-and-true tricks and useful tips drawn from years of experience. The material is easy to understand and accompanied by hundreds of entertaining illustrations by renowned illustrator Mike Clelland! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Entertaining, concise, & information.A must have for winter campers and beginner or intermediate backcountry skiers
I wish I had this book before my first winter camping experience in Alaska.It would have made for a much more enjoyable & successful trip.In this book you will find tips on clothing & gear selection, packing appropriately, winter camping safety & planning (including building multiple styles of snow shelters), intermediate skiing techniques, backcountry ethics, and basic avalanche safety.All of these are accompanied by entertaining and informational pictures which for me are very helpful at giving the complete picture.Don't expect this book to teach you to become an expert skier, but it will help you get enough of a solid base to get started without getting yourself into a dangerous situation.I would even recommend this for the relatively seasoned winter camper, as there are several tips which you may not have picked up even if you do get out in the cold frequently.I just finished reading this book a second time and picked up a few more tips that I hope to use this winter.

I would also highly recommend An Illustrated Guide to Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue if you plan to do any glacier travel.

A backcountry guide written for skiiers
BackCountry Ski Book is a little bit misleading of a title, it really is more of a guide to the backcountry written for skiiers.This book is filled withnuggets of wisdom on how to survive and have a great time in the backcountry, when you are skiing.
Much of the book assumes some familiarity with skiing and the outdoors.An absolute beginner can still glean new ideas from context.If this is your first introduction to avalanche safety, and you are planning a trip where this will be important to know stuff, you can get a good intro from this book.The writers also give a list of recommended resources for anyone who needs or want more information.
Clellands cartoon illustrations scattered throughout the book are helpful in understanding the text.The Gonnick style humor keeps the illustrations funny and educational.After O'Bannion states why doing something in a particular manner may not be wise, and gives a better way to manage, one of Clellands illustrations will give you a picture to prove O'Bannion's point.
Some of the tips and suggestions in this book occasionally contradict one another - both Clelland and O'Bannion put in their own favorite tips, even when they disagreed.This allows the reader to select the best idea for themselves.The writers were clear to include under what conditions each idea works best.
This book does not give a lot of instruction on exactly how to ski in the backcountry.You won't find a lengthy discussion of body mechanics on all-mountain vs alpine vs classic skis on virgin powder or slopes.There is some brief discussion on how to get uphill on skis, and similar skills necessary when you aren't at a ski resort.
This book does not have an index, making it a little more challenging to go back and use the book as a reference.Since it is a paperback, you can always mark it up.
The tips on winter camping are really good.There is guidance on which type of camping stoves to get, how to keep your water bottle from freezing, how to pack a sled and many other useful tidbits in this book.
I purchased this book with my own funds.If you are ready to leave resorts behind and head off into the backcountry, get a copy of this book to guide you.

Good winter camping book but....
I bought this book becauseI wanted to get into BC skiing and have a lot of questions aboutthe diffs of tele vs AT, use of skins etc...
The book really doesntoffer much info on skiing. Itdoes howeverhave a lot of infoon camping in winter conditions in an easy to read format with lots of pictures.
So if you need info regarding camping in the snow this would probably be a good bookfor you, if your like me and looking for more info on types of systems when you would want one over the other etc..you should probably pass on this book.

Seriouse Info, Funny Book
I read this because I wanted to learn how to survive and thrive should I ever find myself overnight in the snow. As always, the authors deliver sound advice gleened from their experience, and make you laugh all the way through with the funny illustrations. I appreciate the absence of machismo and political soap-boxing sometimes found in wilderness books, while reminding the reader to respect nature and be responisble.

What's neat about this book is the detailed instructions on how to do things. I don't ski the backcountry, but I spend a lot of time in the mountains and this books has great advice for anybody.

My husband bought me these books to get me interested in backpacking, and it worked. 'Nuff said.

Funny and Informative!
The clever humor aside, this book has everything I needed to know before entering the back country. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Designed for everyone, from consummate skiers and snowshoers to beginners and families, Winter Trails will lead you to the best places to snowshoe or cross-country ski in Vermont and New Hampshire. Be it a day trip or a two-hour jaunt, you can enjoy the beauty and peacefulness of winter with these forty-six carefully researched trails. Each outing includes information about the natural landscape, distance in miles, trail difficulty and surface quality. You'll also find a rundown of proper equipment and clothing suggestions and tips on safety, navigation, and trail etiquette. Use this guide to explore the best trails that Vermont and New Hampshire have to offer. (6 x 9, 192 pages, b&w photos, maps, icons) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A niche book for the winter outdoor enthusiast.
A very well written book with lots of detail on how to get to a trail, description/map of the trail, whether it is suitable for snowshoeing or X-country skiing or both, as well as a few bits of trivia and suggestions for a good place to eat after a days outing to replenish. I only wish the book were 5 times bigger to cover more trails.

Northeast Outdoor Enthusiasts Rejoice!
Yes!This book is very unique in that is written for a few, specific winter activities (x-country skiing or snowshoeing) in a few very specific locations (New Hampshire and Vermont).If you are in the market for such a book, you don't have many choices to begin with.You'll be happy to know that this book does its subject justice.

People in the Northeast will truly enjoy this book as it covers the best winter activity locations primarily in both the Green and White mountains but also in a few other various locations in each state (including Southern New Hampshire and Vermont).The guide includes point-to-point trail directions, specific maps, driving directions, facility information, and the usual historical fun facts that always fill hiking books.

I grew up in New Hampshire and now live in Vermont.To find this book that covers both of my outdoor winter playgrounds was a true find.If you are a big outdoorsy person looking for a guide to places to help you with winter activities, this book by Marty Basch will be a welcome addition to your library or backpack.

Northeast Outdoor Enthusiasts Rejoice!
Yes!This book is very unique in that is written for a few, specific winter activities (x-country skiing or snowshoeing) in a few very specific locations (New Hampshire and Vermont).If you are in the market for such a book, you don't have many choices to begin with.You'll be happy to know that this book does its subject justice.

People in the Northeast will truly enjoy this book as it covers the best winter activity locations primarily in both the Green and White mountains but also in a few other various locations in each state (including Southern New Hampshire and Vermont).The guide includes point-to-point trail directions, specific maps, driving directions, facility information, and the usual historical fun facts that always fill hiking books.

I grew up in New Hampshire and now live in Vermont.To find this book that covers both of my outdoor winter playgrounds was a true find.If you are a big outdoorsy person looking for a guide to places to help you with winter activities, this book by Marty Basch will be a welcome addition to your library or backpack. ... Read more

Product Description
Marc Brown's new chapter book series features Arthur and his friends for sports fans ready to read on their own.Each book features a longer, sports-related Arthur Adventure, which has been vetted by a reading specialist and has loads of kid appeal. Arthur is in top form as he tries to help Buster goaltend like his hockey hero and plays basketball with a new pen pal.Arthur fans will want to read and collectall of these new chapter books! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Arthur and the Goalie ghost
I read Arthur and the Goalie Ghost.
Thought it was an ok book because it did not give enough detail and it was not a good story. I would recommend this book for ages 6-9 because it is a fairly easy book to read. And it is in easy language to read and under stand. I recommend this book because it is about sports and it was easy to read.

Too Funny!!!
This book is hilarious.We have read it about 10 times already.The whole series is good for sports minded kids and all of the stories are great, but this one takes the cake!The one thing that we wondered, however, is why Marc Brown gets top billing when it is Stephen Krensky who has written all of the books in this Good Sports series? ... Read more

Product Description
Cold is your friend. Embrace it—hit the trail and camp even when the temps are down.

The outdoor world in its frozen state can take you into a new realm of pleasure where you can enjoy silence, solitude, and a landscape that will redefine "white" in your mind. Learn the skills to help you enjoy it safely and comfortably. Part one covers everything you need to know to make day trips hiking, snowshoeing, or easy ski touring into the backcountry in freezing temperatures. It includes choosing gear, expanded food choices while "hiking in a freezer," navigation challenges in ice and snow, and avoiding cold-weather dangers. Part two covers making camp in winter, including keeping dry and warm in a tent or snow shelter, winter cooking techniques, and what to pack in your winter first aid kit. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Solid Entry Level Book
If you have been thinking about taking up year round hiking/backpacking (and if you haven't you are missing out!) this is a good resource to read.
The book covers the important parts giving the reader a good idea what to expect in winter - covering gear and clothing as well.

"Cool" Camping Tips
Cold weather is no longer a reason not to enjoy the great outdoors.Beginning winter hikers will find many great tips to prepare them for a cold jaunt in the wilderness.

Wonderfully comprehensive
For the beginner as well as the sage, this book opens for hikers and backpackers the door to camping in winter.The first half deals with all the basic information a hiker needs to prepare for a dayhike in winter.The second half of the book builds on that information to provide a comprehensive primer for multi-day treks in the backcountry during winter.

I found the book useful for most the audience and easy to read.The author makes an effort to take the fear of the 'rugged wilderness' from the novice winter trekker without understating the importance of safety.

This book is an excellent addition to one's backcountry library.You will go back to it many, many times...

Excellent introduction to backcountry hiking and camping in the winter
This book is, as the previous reviewer said, an good book for just beginning winter hiking and camping.The writing is clear, concise, and full of plenty of good advice.It is not a long book and covers a vast topic, so it primarily overviews everything related to basic winter hiking and camping without going into much detail.

With this book, the reader will feel quite confident in their ability to day-hike in the winter and to use snowshoes, but will probably want to pursue further reading for skiing and gain experience in the backcountry in the winter before camping (a point the author suggests as well).The book is focused on stressing the importance of proper winter clothing, safety and nutrition, and includes helpful short sections on various types of clothing and layering systems for mild and hard outdoor exertion.Its section on backcountry safety is well done and would be very helpful for the beginner.It is true that the author dismisses traditional wood-framed snowshoes, but that is probably because most beginners to winter hiking would be better served opting for easier-to-use modern snowshoes anyway.

Good, but could be much better.
I am very quick to grab any new book on backcountry camping andtravel in the winter, so I had this book as soon as it hit the shelves. I have to say I was not really that impressed with it. Backcountry skis get all of one and a half pages, and traditional snowshoes (wood frame and web) are dismissed as not being modern. Wool gets scant mention, as the auuthor seems to favor synthetics, and native-style mukluks, arguably the warmest winter footwear available, are not even mentioned. This is a good book if your are just getting into winter camping, and want to do so safely, with newer types of gear. There are other books available, which do a better, more balanced job on the same topic. ... Read more

Product Description
Don't let winter weather keep you indoors! This book reveals the best paths and trails for winter walks and hikes. From urban parks in Seattle and the eastside communities to the foothills and lowlands of the Nisqually River, from the Issaquah Alps to the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas-there are outdoor experiences waiting for you wherever you go.

Also includes special trips to the north Puget Sound area, including the boulders of Devil's Garden, and beautiful Chukanut Mountain, as well as the spectacular Mima Mounds and Black Hills Crest in the south Sound. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Too much philosophy added
Good book but spare me Harvey Mannings ranting about Seattle and loggers.HM is more responsible for people hiking in this area than anyone - then he complains about it.Give me a break.I know he is decesed, so I guess I should not say bad things about his writing. . . but..

Great survey of parks, but not a source for winter hikes.
I give this book 3 stars because it *is* a good book - just not really for winter hiking.It is filled with short - usually 3 miles or less - walks around the Seattle area.It is more or less a survey of Seattle-area parks.I enjoyed Harvey Manning's opinionated writing style as usual, but it's not the same fare as their usual 100 Hikes books.

In summary - if you're looking to enjoy Puget Sound parks - in any season - this is a great book.If you're looking for real winter hikes that involve packing a backpack, lunch, and getting in a good trek in the woods away from people - look elsewhere. ... Read more

Product Description
The Winter Wilderness Companion is a unique and inspirational guide to outdoor skills from authors named to Outside magazine's exclusive list of 12 Twentieth Century Heroes for a New Millennium. This revised edition unlocks the winter wilderness in all its invigorating beauty. It includes step-by-step instructions for making and using snowshoes, toboggans, tents, and clothing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Winter living...in the great outdoors
After living and camping for 10 years North of the treeline I have recently moved to the forest country of Canada's NWT.I have been on a steep learning curve made much shorter by this wonderful book.I have retrofitted a couple of kids toboggans and my wife and I have been out nearly every day practicing the techniques and equipment found in the book.All I can say is good, solid advice from people who know what they are talking about.My favourite writer since Rustrum!

Great view of modern DIY traditionalism
One reviewer says he didn't like this book's subhead. To me, it's the part of the title that really describes the book. The subhead tells you it's not a typical winter book, but a unique one that shows how wilderness travel is really done up in the northwoods...using methods that have been passed down thru generations. However, their materials adapt to the times whenever that seems best. Thus they're happy to use roll-up plastic sleds, in a "traditional" way. Note that the subhead doesn't say "re-enactment" or "historic" travel. Traditional travel in their sense means how local northwoods people camp today. That seems to be their drift, anyway. As a result, I appreciate the coverage of both snowmobiles and snowshoes. They go together. Now, canvas tents might not be right for everyone, but I appreciate them for long, cold, group outings. I think that for such use, they're best. Trust these folks and their local, ethnic sources. I liked the realistic, inclusive style of this book. This is not pricey vacation resort travel. This is do-it-yourself make-do homebrew travel. I notice that there wasn't much emphasis on the fancy new snowshoes, but instead on the wide variety of traditional models that are still available if you know where to look (not in the yuppy shops that you find far from the boonies). In deep offtrail open area snow, if you plan to travel, you need some nice long, narrow Alaskans. I find the modern shoes to be suitable for crust, gullies, trails...conditions I don't shoe in. Or hardly anyone I know. The recent takeover by hightech shoes is silly. I also appreciate seeing the lady author with her string of gunshot grouse...not a common image in today's backpacking books. But a common one in traditional northwoods living. This is a one of a kind book. No other contemporary book is as practical or personable. This book has character...ever rarer in publishing.

Misleading title
While the title The Winter Wilderness Companion is accurate, the sub heading ofTraditional and Native American Skills for the Undiscovered Season is the part I found misleading(after I purchased the book of course).
I had expected the book to be more along the line of The Indian Tipi or American Indian Archery written by Reginald and Gladys Laubin(both five star books in my view). Not even close. Info on EPIRBS and contact info for LL Bean and Steger Mukluks wasn't what I wanted in a book with this title.
Although there is useful winter camping information it falls into the elementary catagory and group travel sounds like the old British Himalayan expedition style. If you read any Bonnington pulp you'll know what I mean.
Anyway this is just one New England winter travelers opinion.Its your plastic, but I'd spend my $14 elsewhere.

Great things come in small packages.
When I first looked at the Conover's book, I admit I put it back on the store shelf and went on to other things. My wife had just given me my third pair of backcountry skis, and I wasn't too hot on plodding around on snowshoes. A few minutes later, I picked the book up again, and flipped through it some more. I sat down in a chair by the fireplace (reallly nice store!) and started reading snippets, and knew I had to buy it. I ski and I camp in the winter. Not the way the Conovers describe, but now I am looking forward to trying their "traditional" methods. My circa 1981 snowshoes have seen much more use since reading this book. My wife and I have invested in mukluks, because, as the book states, they really do keep your feet warm in really cold weather! This little book is just crammed with useful information for anyone who ventures out in the winter cold and snow, whether it's for a hike or for the night.

Snowshoes are enjoying a resurgence in popularity right now, and "The Winter Wilderness Companion" can help new snowshoers get more out of their gear. But the book's true worth lies in the possibilities it opens for getting beyond the local park and forest, and using traditional (some may say "old-fashioned") gear and skills to stay warm and survive with style in the winter backcountry. Imagine hiking through a -40 degree forest, setting up camp, and having a +60 degree tent to retreat into for the night!

"The Winter Wilderness Companion" can open your eyes, and open your mind to a whole new way of enjoying a whole new season of outdoor fun in a grand, old way. It's compact size makes it convenient to carry with you, too! In 30 years as a ranger, ski patroller and search and rescue volunteer, I feel it is one of the very best books on winter travel and camping I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

Winter Camping Can Be Fun and Comfortable
Snow camping can be at once beautiful, uplifting and unforgiving. As a Scoutmaster in the northwest, I've enjoyed passing on skills to both youngsters and their parents. The Conovers do an excellent job in this book on several counts. They pass on their appreciation for the wilderness, particularly when it's mantled with snow. At times their writing is lyrical in describing the beauty of the winter wilderness, and their satisfaction in living a simple life in such a setting. In an era when success is defined by how many possessions one has accumulated and how far they've separated themselves from the natural world, the Conovers offer a compelling vision.

But this work also offers excellent strategies for not only surviving an outing in the snow-covered wilderness, but making it thoroughly enjoyable-even for the novice. Step by step, they offer excellent tips and strategies for handling everything from food selection and cooking, campsite and clothing selection to travel methods. They explore the advantages of adapting native techniques, and provide readers with contacts and practical directions.

It is important to recognize at the outset that this work is based on winter travel in the northeast. Winter campers based in more mountainous regions will find only parts of the book applicable to their environment; the Conovers are straight-forward in pointing that out. Using toboggans and carrying large tents simply isn't practical in areas of larger elevation changes; it could be inviting a hernia! There isn't any discussion of snow cave or igloo construction, important to mountaineers. Good references for these areas would include the Scout handbook entitled Okpik. But overall, a worthwhile book with much to offer; readers may be left wanting to join the Conovers on one of their guided trips! ... Read more

Product Description
This charming guide identifies over 135 of the common species of wildflowers and weeds found in the northeastern United States. Each plant is superbly illustrated with a full-page drawing accompanied by an elegant description of the plant's key characteristics. In addition, a step-by-step key to plant identifications and an illustrated glossary of common plant parts and botanical terms has been included to make this a splendid and valuable resource in identifying the dormant but various vestiges of spring and summer. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (7)

Tacky the penguin is fun!
My five year old grandson loves penguins and has a great sense of humor.These books combine those two things and he loves them!The stories are not just fluffy and silly however.They do have little life lessons to teach.They are great books for kindergartner's and first graders who are learning to read and the illustrations are complex enough to hold a child's attention.

Gotta love that Tacky!
This was purchased as a gift for my wife, who is a big fan of the Tacky the Penguin books. Her elementary
school class enjoyed it, as they always do when the books are read aloud!

We like Tacky
I have five Tacky books and we go through at least 3 every time my granddaughter comes. "Tacky is a strange bird, but a nice bird to have around."

A fun little poke at the Olympics
"A-huff-and-puff-and-a-huff-and-puff-and-a-huff-and-puff."WHAT'S HAPPENING?" blared Tacky the Penguin as he came across his companions Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect."

Tacky quickly learns his companions are training for the Winter games.They try to get him to work out as well and Tacky does in his own unique style.

Soon the games arrive, opening ceremonies and then the events.

His team handily wins the bobsledless race as they jump on Tacky and ride him to victory.But a judge calls them for riding a bobsled.Tacky tries to point out his is not one but they still get disqualified.

Next is the ski jumping event with frozen fish for skies. Tacky decides to toast his toes in a cabin but unfortunately he thaws his fish. He tries to jump and lands....several times.

Finally, it's the last event; speed skating. Everything is going well but when the baton is passed to Tacky; he eats it.Frustrated, his companions chase him.Tacky things it's a game of tag and races faster and faster.They win.But did they?They take him to x-ray and look for the baton.Point out the cobwebs in his head as it made my girl laugh.

They eventually are declared the winner and as always:Tacky was an odd bird, but a nice bird to have around.

Overall, it's a good story and well illustrated. However, I found my girl not liking this one as much.

Penguins in a Wacky Wonder Land:Hilarious Book!
"Tacky and the Winter Games" nails the difficult challenge of writing a truly funny kids' book; it's one of the funniest I've read in the last several years. Text and illustrations combine superbly to give a fully realized portrait of a Tacky and his wacky winter land.You and your young audience will enjoy both immensely; It's one of those rare books that adults will enjoy appreciate almost as much as kids.

The Modus Operandi here is depicting penguins--those lovable but waddly, often awkward looking mammals--training for a Winter Olympics type contest. For credibility, Lester presumes that most penguins might adapt well to winter sports, given sufficient training. However, Tacky is not "most" penguins: He combines a wonderfully comic combination of the sloth and gluttony of Garfield the cat with the wild abandon of Mr. Toad. Not for Tacky the rigors of training: Whereas his four teammates hike, do sit-ups, lift weights, bicycle, eat "special training meals" and keep "strict training hours," Tacky lays down in the snow, abandons the sit-ups, Mr. Toads it on his bicycle--sending his teammates scurrying for safety, feasts on pizza and donuts, and stays up late munching popcorn and watching TV.

The story opens up thematically and pictorially with the 2-page spread describing the Opening Ceremonies.Teams of other penguins come from the "Highlands," the "Lowlands," the "Fun Lands," and Tacky's own "Nice Icy Land." They all march with dignity--except for Tacky who falls on his head while carrying the 'Nice Icy' pennant.However, this episode gives observant readers some insight into his character: Although Tacky falls down, he manages to hold the flag aloft with his feet.Could there be something more to him than his clownishly lazy behavior suggests?

Well, sort of.His team wins the NO-bobsled race but is disqualified because they use Tacky as a bobsled. Penguin ski-jumping, as we all know, uses frozen fish for skis; Tacky's fish skis thaw when he chills (so to speak) by a pot-bellied stove before the race, and floppy fish make for funny aerodynamics. Finally, there's a relay race.The first four members of Team Nice Icy Land pass the baton neatly to each other, but when it's passed to the last skater, Tacky, he eats it! "Ate it? Ate it. Well, it looked like a hot dog." In frustration, his teammates chase him, and Tacky, thinking it's a game of tag "skated faster. And faster. And fasterandfaster and barreled across the finish line in record time." However, will a strict judge (wearing a button that says, "I rule") award them first place when the baton has disappeared?I'll only reveal that the resolution involves X-rays and that the four other penguins give Tacky a big hug.Lester concludes, "Tacky was an odd bird, but a nice bird to have around."

Just about everything here is perfect: The pacing, the funny and vividly colored illustrations that evoke place and person, the plot--which could have stopped much earlier but is well-developed but not long or meandering for its young audience.I'm surprised to see it so low on the Amazon.com sales list. I hope this is not indicative of its popularity. If so, Tacky and his crew deserve a much bigger audience. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent book, but minor issues
A well written book that has extensive details on the early formation of hockey. Includes details that are hard to find in any other book. Great for learing about the pre-NHL history of the game, as well as some of the lesser known, and shadier, aspects of the Original Six era. Also offers a short description of the Summit Series, possibly one of the most defining tournaments in sports history.

The only problems I had with the book were few and far between. A lack of a bibliography stands out, which would have been nice for someone hoping to look further into the subject at hand. I also sawk, in one chapter at least (about Cyclone Taylor), what looked like a clear case of plagerism, with a whole paragraph lifted out of another book written about Taylor (Cyclone Taylor: A Hockey Legend, by Eric Whitehead). There were also several factual errors, with the author giving the wrong years for players winning awards in nearly every occassion. One that stood out for me was stating that Syl Apps was the first winner of the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year in 1937 when Carl Voss was the inaugural winner in 1933. This happened several times, and by the end I was becoming concerned that if the author couldn't get these simple dates correct, what other parts of the book are wrong, specifically parts that aren't so easy to find a source for.

Regardless, the book is excellent for anyone looking to learn how hockey rose from nothing to become the sport that it is today.

Outstanding Read!
I have read many books that detail the history of the great game of Hockey, but none was better written than this book.Mr. McKinley tells the history in a way that is easy to follow and entertaining to read.Where many of the hockey history books are confusing to follow, this one is a joy to read.I have read through the book twice already and will surely revisit the book many times in the future.Highly recommend!

NHL players and owners, please read this book
This book is fascinating on a number of levels.It gives a great account of the beginnings of hockey, including the tensions between anglo and francophone players in Montreal in the early days.

It's also a great trip down memory lane for any fan who remembers a few decades back to players like the Rocket, and has even further, but fuzzy, memories of guys like Turk Broda or Howie Morenz.McKinley covers all the major players and moments of hockey past.

But the book is more than that.It's at many levels an argument about the game, and the recurring message is that, from the very start, there's been tension between owners who have tried to outspend each other in order to win.

Reading about this element puts the currently approaching labor crisis in a historical perspective in a way that no other hockey book I'm familiar with does.For that reason alone, it's worth the read.

It makes me wish that Gary Bettman, every NHL owner, and every player would pick up a copy.It might enlighten them to know that the money and contract issues currently plaguing the game are not new.Fans can only hope that it would have the further effect of waking them up to the effects of excess before they give the game a black eye through another work stoppage.

A fantastic book.McKinley is to be congratulated.

Fabulous Book
Quite simply the best book ever written on the history of the sport

OH LORD
when i opened up this book it was like the heavens opened up and angels smiled upon me. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Outstanding High-Low Reader
Outstanding illustrations by a (former?) Marvel comics illustrator. The book has been professionally drawn and styled and it shows. This is definitely a high-low reader, with a reading level of 0.9 and interest level up to 14 yo. The plot is basic in scope: rich boy & poor boy are both awesome snowboarders but poor boy can't afford to enter competition. Poor kid has aggressive attitude to rich kid. Rich kid is actually a nice dude who is impressed with the other's skills but rich kid is surrounded by "friends" who all want something from him because of his status. Danger happens and the two teens learn about true friendship and good sportsmanship to boot. How the story actually plays out in the book is very well done, and while the "lesson" is obviously there, it doesn't stick out during the reading of the book. The teens are presented very well, speaking and acting just like real-life teens (keeping in mind that Stone Arch only prints family friendly material). I recommend this book and while I still have one more book in the series to review I'll go out on a limb and say the whole series is likely to be worthy of recommendation. ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive history of skiing from its earliest origins to the outbreak of World War II, this book traces the transformation of what for centuries remained an exclusively utilitarian practice into the exhilarating modern sport we know today. E. John B. Allen places particular emphasis on the impact of culture on the development of skiing, from the influence of Norwegian nationalism to the role of the military in countries as far removed as Austria, India, and Japan. Although the focus is on Europe, Allen’s analysis ranges all over the snow-covered world, from Algeria to China to Zakopane. He also discusses theparticipation of women and children in what for much of its history remained a male-dominated sport. Of all the individuals who contributed to the modernization of skiing before World War II, Allen identifies three who were especially influential: Fridtjof Nansen of Norway, whose explorations on skis paradoxically inspired the idea of skiing as sport; Arnold Lunn of England, whose invention of downhill skiing and the slalom were foundations of the sport’s globalization; and Hannes Schneider, whose teachings introduced both speed and safety into the sport.Underscoring the extent to which ancient ways persisted despite modernization, the book ends with the Russo-Finnish War, a conflict in which the Finns, using equipment that would have been familiar a thousand years before, were able to maneuver in snow that had brought the mechanized Soviet army to a halt.

More than fifty images not only illustrate this rich history but provide further opportunity for analysis of itscultural significance. ... Read more

Product Description
No one understands Declan. Not his mother or his father or his teachers. No one but maybe his new group of friends. After moving, Declan will do anything to fit in at his new school, even if it is illegal. When he and his new friends get caught, the consequences are tragic. Given a second chance that he is not sure that he wants, Declan is sent to work at a ski lodge in the Canadian Rockies. Though he is not locked up, he feels trapped and lonely, and learns that second chances aren't easy. While there, Declan learns to snowboard and meets new friends, but the ghosts of his past keep rising up to haunt him. Standing on the edge, Declan realizes that the only way to break free is to face his past, and to look forward to the future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This will inspire you.
This is a book about a troubled teen, Declan, who loves to snowboard.He unfortunately gets into a gang that likes to graffiti on things.One day, the gang starts a fire and ends up killing themselves.Declan does not get killed.Instead he has to go into rehabilitation for about 6 weeks.Thisrehabilitation center was in the mountains.There was snow on themountains so Declan couldn't resist snowboarding.The only problem is thathe almost killed himself about three times.Only two of those times wereaccidents.The third time he tried to kill himself because he was fed upwith his life.That turned him around.Now because this book isn't verylong, I don't want to give out any more information because it might giveaway the ending.I hope that you'll read this book because it's very goodand I enjoyed it.I hope that the review I gave will persuade you to goand read the book.Thanks. ... Read more