Reviews of Prep: The Spirit of a High School Football Team and the Great Kettlebell Handbook.
Title Shots
High school football is portrayed with class and emotion in Prep: The Spirit of a High School Football Team ($39.95, powerHouse Books, hardcover). Renowned sports photographer Richard Corman spent most of the 2007-08 season with the Marauders of Saint Peter's Preparatory School (known simply as "Prep") in Jersey City, N.J. - the state's only Jesuit high school. His camera captured stirring images of jubilation, heartbreak and hard work during a season in which the Marauders fell short in the Non-Public Group IV state championship game at Giants Stadium. Particularly compelling are the off-field images of individual players and their interaction with 26-year coach Rich Hansen. But the overall impact would have been greater had Corman provided readers with more details in the text about the Marauders and their near-championship season.
One of the 'Greats'
Although they may seem intimidating to the uninitiated, kettlebells are emerging as a useful tool both in general exercising and sport-specific training because they combine the benefits of traditional cardio and strength workouts in as little as half the time. The Great Kettlebell Handbook ($9.95, Productive Fitness Products, softcover) was written by fitness professionals Jim Talo and Andre Noel Potvin to ease the transition to training with kettlebells. Beginning with a history of kettlebells (which were originally used by Russia's elite military forces in the 1940s) and guidelines for safe workouts, the authors detail 39 exercises with descriptive copy and colorful photographs. Easy to read and comprehend, the book is the latest entry in "The Great Handbook Series" from Productive Fitness Products and makes an ideal point-of-purchase item.