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Body
Here’s my choice for the number-one best book on training: Healthy Intelligent Training: The Proven Principles of Arthur Lydiard, by Keith Livingstone. The Lydiard Foundation’s recommended “textbook,” it’s completely faithful to Lydiard’s philosophy and spirit.
Lore of Running. Tim Noakes, M.D. The single best source on the science and practice of running. This 900-page book includes engaging stories of great runners and their training, plus the latest information on injuries, diet, etc.
Diet Books. I’ve never found a diet book that got it completely right. The problem is, they’re all biased. Eating for high-energy training requires balance – it’s a no-brainer: the body doesn’t thrive on a one-sided diet of carbs, fats, or anything else.
That much said, Eat to Live will tell you, in deep, detail why fruits and veggies are good for you. And Eat Fat, Lose Fat will tell you why the exercising body needs fat, including reasonable amounts of saturated fat. If you’re concerned about performance and/or weight-loss, I recommend these books.
Eat to Live, by Joel Fuhrman, M.D., is the best weight-loss book I’ve found. The Eat to Live diet is healthy, easy, tasty, and sustainable, and it’s based on hard research from reputable sources. I do have major quibbles with the diet, however. I’m highly suspicious of one-sided arguments against saturated fats and dairy products. Otherwise, this is an outstanding guide to easy weight-loss. I was on the diet for two and a half years and was able to exercise normally and keep the weight off. Why did I drop Eat to Live? Read on.
The Ayurvedic Cookbook, and Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners. Amadea Morningstar and Urmila Desai. Ayurveda is an ancient dietary system from India. It’s tremendously valuable for athletes, because it identifies the foods that can give you problems, based on your body “type.”
Heart
My Personal Best: Life Lessons from an All-American Journey. John Wooden. Possibly the most inspiring sports book ever. Wooden describes the early experiences that led him to create the “Pyramid of Success,” a chart of values that guided and inspired the 10 NCAA-champion basketball teams he coached at UCLA.
Values of the Game. Bill Bradley. The former US senator and Hall of Fame NBA player (he played on two championship teams with the New York Knicks) gathers his thoughts on courage, discipline, resilience, respect, and the joy of the game. They’re inspiring; this is a sports book for the ages.
The Runner and the Path. Dean Ottati. Heartfelt stories from the life of an unusually aware runner. A former world-class swimmer, Dean is a successful business executive. On the trail with his running friends, he finds meaning to balance the absurdities of corporate America.
Will
Running with the Legends. Michael Sandrock. A wonderful book that reveals the lives and training of world-class runners. Sandrock vividly conveys the effort required to rise to the top – the talent, sacrifices, and years-long effort.
Mark Allen’s Total Triathlete. Mark Allen with Bob Babbitt. Written before Allen met coach Philip Maffetone and began winning the Hawaiian Ironman, this book is inspiring for revealing his engaging insights into the spirit and psychology of high-level competition.
Mind
Focused for Soccer. Bill Beswick. Wonderful insights into the mental aspects of sports, from a psychologist for top English professional soccer teams, including Manchester United.
Mental Training for Peak Performance. Steven Ungerleider, Ph.D. An excellent introduction to sports psychology, based on research and interviews with top athletes.
Soul
For many of the ideas in Fitness Intuition, I am deeply indebted to the following books by J. Donald Walters. All are available from Crystal Clarity Publishers (www.crystalclarity.com).
Out of the Labyrinth: For Those Who Want to Believe, But Can’t. Walters takes on the major sourpusses of western thought, including Jean Paul Sartre and his followers, who’ve grossly misinterpreted the findings of modern science and their implications for morality and the existence of a deep meaning in life. Walters explains how the same scientific findings actually reflect life’s deep meaningfulness. This is a thoroughly engaging, readable book.
Hope for a Better World! The Small Communities Solution. A wonderfully clear overview of western thought, and an inspiring, practical prescription for a more meaningful way of life.
Education for Life. This book speaks not only to parents and teachers, but to anyone who wants to understand life’s meaning. It describes the six-year phases of a child’s development, and how children can be helped to learn the required lessons at each stage. Adults will discover how well they’ve learned the lessons, and many helpful ideas for filling in the gaps.
Intuition for Starters. A first-rate book on intuition from the practical perspective of yoga. Includes tips for developing intuition, and for knowing the difference between true intuitive guidance from false subconscious “inspiration.”
Meditation for Starters. The best concise guide to meditation I’ve found. Provides a clear overview of techniques for calming and focusing the mind, letting go of emotional tension and worries, and deepening spiritual awareness.
