Crowther offers a fascinating look at the role of sport as practiced in several important civilizations in the ancient world. He not only probes the games themselves, but explores the ways in which athletics figured into cultural arenas that extended beyond physical prowess to military associations, rituals, status, and politics. Sport in Ancient Times has four distinct parts: the Prehistoric Age, historic Greece, ancient Italy, and the Byzantine Empire.

This step-by-step guide shows how to enhance your fortune through the cultivation of new friendships and relationships while enjoying the game you love to play. It tells you how you can properly structure a golf game so that it becomes both the ideal setting to create and promote deals, both small and large. It will teach you not only how to improve your golf but how to succeed in the business game of golf as well.

Chess is like an intellectual labyrinth; whenever you open a door, you find yourself facing ten new doors. Negotiations and other business maneuvers are similar; each decision or action generates new opportunities. And, like chess, it is more important to determine the paths not taken. As Richard Nixon taught us: "Always know ahead of time what you don't want." In Chess and the Art of Negotiation, a world-renowned chess master and a CEO of a global company combine forces and apply the principles of chess to illuminate the dynamics of competition, strategy and negotiation, whether angling for a promotion, beating your arch rival to a lucrative contract, or landing the sale. In a colorful interview format, the authors argue that it is not enough to be well prepared or well informed, nor is it sufficient to be trained in only the tactical aspects of engagement. Strategy drives tactics, and understanding the motivations behind your opponent's strategy will help you navigate your way through the labyrinth. Drawing from their own experiences in chess and in business, as well as many historical and contemporary examples, the authors offer insight into the strategic mindset and how to apply it to any kind of negotiation or competitive situation. Not for the faint of heart, Chess and the Art of Negotiation assumes that in business, as in any game, there are winners and losers, and aims to help you prepare for combat and emerge victorious, not vanquished.

Chris Baker has created a much more profound repertoire than most people appreciate. It is truly "startling" and well thought, yes as others have mentioned it's not always stupendously perfect but that is not its intention! The book has two major goals, one- to impart the wisdom of understanding ideas rather than memorizing the latest issue of whatever. Two- to equip the novice player with a repertoire that is build on development, open lines and good endgames. Baker takes on the "classic" approach of swift development that was forgotten and revives it quite well. After reading this book you may feel that you need to "graduate" Some of the openings that he offers, for instance, as fascinating as it may be the Max-Lange is probably not as sufficient as other tries - however, it is important to master none the less! Not to mention that it's fun!

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Don't let the title fool you--Matthew Sadler's Tips for Young Players is not just for children. Anyone who wants to improve their chess game would profit from this book. Sadler, one of England's top grandmasters, has a knack for demystifying some of the more abstruse aspects of the game and presenting them in a clear and easily understood manner. In the first half of this book, Sadler concentrates on establishing general principles for the opening, middlegame, and endgame. (A basic understanding of the game is assumed--if you are looking for an introductory book for absolute beginners, try Byron Jacob's Starting Out in Chess.) For instance, the section on the opening discusses the principles of good development, king safety, center occupation, and the initiative. Each section concludes with a summary of the important points and selection of exercises to help you see how much you've internalized before you go on. The second half of the book delves more deeply into the game, discussing the development of and opening repertoire to suit your individual style and the elements of planning and strategy, positional play, and some of the subtleties of the endgame. The final chapter offers tips and exercises for improving your play as well as suggestions for further reading. Tips for Young Players is sure to improve the game of casual players or anyone rated under 1400 who wants to take their game to the next level. With his lucid and engaging writing style, Sadler is well on his way to becoming one of the top chess writers around. --Laszlo Simonyi

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Discover the key to staying fit and supple with this easy-to-do stretching program. Targeted warm-up and cool-down stretches prevent sports injuries, while others effectively counter aches and pains, bad posture, and the effects of aging. An added benefit is ease: this practical stretching program fits effortlessly into a busy life.

Cet ouvrage original et novateur associe un concept de musculation efficace à des illustrations de grande qualité. Il s'adresse à toute personne qui souhaite se muscler sans utiliser de matériel. Olivier Lafay propose une méthode permettant d'obtenir des résultats rapides et durables. Cette méthode comporte un entraînement progressif et des programmes spécifiques. Ainsi chaque pratiquant, quel que soit son niveau, pourra atteindre les résultats souhaités : éliminer les graisses excédentaires, développer les muscles, améliorer les performances athlétiques. Les 110 exercices proposés permettent de se muscler en tout lieu et à tout moment. Ils ne nécessitent aucun matériel de musculation (haltères, bancs, machines...). Ils peuvent aussi être utilisés par ceux qui possèdent déjà des haltères afin de compléter et diversifier leur entraînement. Souplesse et endurance ne sont pas oubliées. Des programmes spécifiques leur sont consacrés dans lesquels chacun pourra puiser selon ses besoins et ses envies.

Bodybuilding is a tiny universe comprised of huge people, and those who want to be huge but aren't there yet. Inside that insular world, a handful of individuals have made a ton of money selling advice based on shaky science--if any science was involved at all. Poliquin, a Canadian strength coach, set out to discover what the rest of the world knew about building strength and muscle but hadn't told us yet. From obscure European journals, he found a ton of information on such arcana as the speed at which an exercise should be performed and the amount of rest that should be taken between exercises. These seem like tiny issues, but they can make a big difference in how fast a muscle can grow and how strong it can become.