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JB Approved Books
Reviews of Our Favourites

By Dr. John M Berardi, Ph.D.
First published at www.johnberardi.com, May 7 2004.

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1. Training
2. Nutrition
3. Business and Professional
4. Interesting Thoughts and Interesting People
5. Fiction

1. Training

The Black Book of Training Secrets, by Christian Thibadeau
Another gold star for our good friend Christian Thibadeau. Christian’s writing is clear, concise, educated and effective. This book is straight forward in its mission to teach program design. However it’s got a few tricks up its sleeve that you won’t want to miss out on.

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, by Thomas Baechle
This is the core text used by the very credible National Strength and Conditioning Association. The book outlines exercise science, biomechanics, physiology, nutrition, testing and evaluation, exercise technique, program design, and weight room organization. If you only had one book in your library, this would be a good choice. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Get Buffed, by Ian King
To this day all of the JB.com staff have been greatly influenced by the training methods outlined in this book. The emphasis this book and Ian’s articles place on ensuring that one accounts for preventing muscle imbalances is reason enough to give Get Buffed a thorough study.

The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, by Bill Dobbins and Arnold Schwarzenegger
Carter included this book in the list as much for personal nostalgia as anything else. He says this because it was the first “training” book he ever purchased and he credits it – at least to a degree - for why he became obsessed with training. While the training theory and nutrition advice are generally outdated, it’s still a credible resource for basic exercise descriptions. If you’re into the history of bodybuilding it’s also a very good resource for pictures and stories of strongmen and bodybuilders of yesteryear. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Periodization - Theory and Methodolgy of Training, by Tudor Bompa,
This book gives an all around look at the theories behind periodization. Inside Bompa goes into great detail about the physiology of an athlete and how periodization if the answer for developing overall performance improvement. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Periodization Training for Sports, by Tudor Bompa
The book is a simple yet informative look at how North American periodization can be used for training in sport. Bompa outlines all five phases (anatomical adaptation, hypertrophy, maximum strength, power, power endurance/muscular endurance) in an easy to read format. Example programs are listed for a wide range of sports including baseball, football, tennis, and swimming. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Science and Practice of Strength Training, by Vladimir Zatsiorsky
In this book, like Supertraining, Zatsiorsky uses a textbook approach to documenting the training methodologies that shaped the Russian training systems so famous today. While there’s a healthy dose of theory, this book is as solid as a strength-training manual can get and is rooted in both research and results. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Science of Flexibility, by Michael Alter
While stretching isn’t the most exciting topic on our list, it’s a critical one, especially if injury prevention is important to you or your athletes. This reference text addresses the principles of flexibility and will contribute to the stretching practices of professionals and students in exercise science, health/fitness, sport and physical therapy, and massage therapy. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Strength Training Anatomy, by Frederic Delavier
For anyone wanting to take a simple look at the muscles used during strength Training exercises, this book is for you. Inside Delavier uses quality diagrams to describe how to perform exericises and what muscle are at work. The book is fairly detailed and can be of use to anyone interested in knowing about which muscles are at work during strength training exercises. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Supertraining, by Mel Siff and Yuri Verkhoshansky
We don’t think much needs to be said about this book as most coaches already recognize this as the training theory and application book. For the equivalent of a University degree in strength training, this is your text. We would caution however that Supertraining is an advanced text and as such, those looking for a cursory read would be well advised to look elsewhere.

Theory and Application of Modern Strength and Power Methods, by Christian Thibadeau
If you’re looking for the “coles notes” / “cliff’s notes” version of Supertraining, look no further than any of Christian Thibaudeau’s works – especially this latest book. Now that’s not to say that all he’s done is “dumbed-down” Supertraining for the general public. Rather he’s taken the theory from Supertraining and numerous other sources (including his own immense experience) and has put together a masterful compilation of training theory and application. To date this has been one of our most enjoyable strength/conditioning reads.

The Weightlifting Encyclopedia, by Arthur Drechler
If you want to learn the Olympic lifts, look no further than this very informative encyclopedia dedicated to the clean and snatch. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

2. Nutrition

Nutrient Timing, by John Ivy and Robert Portman
Nutrient Timing presents a comprehensive way of thinking about sports nutrition, one very similar to some of the principles we’ve been championing for some time now. In this system, the dimension of time is emphasized and athletes are taught both how the body responds to exercise and how it should be fed at specific times of the training cycle. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Nutrition For Serious Athletes, by Dan Benardot
Benardot is a researcher who’s spent much of his time “in the trenches” working with elite athletes and learning how good nutritional planning can dramatically impact performance. While Benardot’s focus is on a unique form of nutrient timing, this book offers a lot of useful ideas on how to plan the nutritional intake of athletes. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

The Omega Diet, by Artemis Simopoulos
Are the omega 3 fatty acids a panacea for today’s modern ailments? Probably! Check out this fantastic book to learn why. You’ll learn about why dietary fat is not the enemy of the lean body and how to structure your overall dietary intake to accommodate a wide variety of foods. This book is one of our favorites as it contains extensive food composition lists and menus/recipes. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

The Paleo Diet, by Loren Cordain
This book forces us to look back at our nutritional past in order to recognize that unless we give up the packaged, processed, convenience foods (foods that weren’t on our ancestor’s tables), we’re doomed to suffer the plagues and pestilence of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other nutrition related diseases. If you’re very active, this diet is a good baseline; it just needs a tweak here or there to make it optimal for your lifestyle. However, we’re willing to bet your relatively sedentary friends and family could benefit greatly from this book. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

3. Business and Professional

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Steven Covey
One of the personal development masterpieces of our time, this book focuses succeeding in the marketplace, at home, and at play while being the same individual of principle throughout. Covey offers a very principled approach to understanding our actions and the actions of others, presenting interesting ways to harmonize the sometimes conflicting desires at odds between individuals. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Awaken The Giant Within, Tony Robbins
JB included this selection as part nostalgia (it’s the first personal development book he ever read) and part challenge. Although Robbins has become a cult-like figure and it’s easy to be cynical of his success, don’t let that lull you into thinking that many of the techniques he teaches are trite or cliché. We challenge you to pick up a copy of this unique text. Robbins knows how to teach you to build your own personal success story – whatever your definition of success. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

How To Develop Confidence and Influence People by Public Speaking, by Dale Carnegie
Don’t prepare a public lecture of any kind (not even if it’s just a best man speech at your buddy’s wedding) without reading this book. Carnegie delivers dozens of strategies for improving the quality of your public speaking. You’ll not only learn the technical aspects of preparing the talk itself from introduction to conclusion, you’ll learn how to prepare yourself to deliver calm, confident, audience engaging speeches. Particularly engaging are the examples he provides from some of the greatest orators of all time. JB reads this book a few times a year just to keep the ideas fresh in his mind. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

How To Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
Despite the salesmanship evident in this title, Carnegie’s book is a timeless study into interpersonal relationships. And no, you won’t feel as if you’re learning how to “win friends”. Rather, you’ll catch a glimpse into the motivations behind your actions and the actions of your friends and colleagues and in seeing these motivations, will develop a greater understanding of where people go wrong in their daily interactions. Balance these techniques with the principles Covey teaches above and you’ll be certain of having rich professional and personal relationships. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

4. Interesting Thoughts and Interesting People

Beyond Good and Evil, by Friedrich Nietzsche
It seems to us that much of the modern “achievement literature” can be traced to the work of Nietzsche (although Nietzsche himself is anything but a rah-rah motivational writer). At the very least, ideas regarding self-realization, etc., find one of their earliest and most powerful expressions here. Written as a loosely connected collection of aphorisms, Beyond Good and Evil is variously (and often simultaneously) hilarious, offensive, inspirational, thought provoking and maddening. It is sometimes said that an aphorism is either a half-truth or a truth-and-a-half – there are plenty of both in Nietzsche. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Broca’s Brain, by Carl Sagan
As adults, do you ever take the time to sit back and observe as the faces of children light up with wonder at the amazing scope of the world and its mysteries? If you do, we’re willing to bet that you get nostalgic, seeking a way to bring the wonder back to into your life. If so, you’ve gotta pick up one of Carl Sagan’s books. While Broca’s Brain was published in the 70’s Sagan brings a timeless element into his books – the element of wonder at our world and our universe. Rather than telling you how it is, Sagan asks grown-up questions, forcing you to think about why it is. Pick up a Sagan book with real curiosity and a true desire to exercise your mental muscle and you’ll become a believer too. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

The Closing of the American Mind, by Allan Bloom
A biting critique of the modern world in general, and of education in the modern world in particular. Short on facile solutions (and thankfully so, in this reader’s opinion), it is long on profound insight into the problems we face as individuals and as a society. Bloom was a fascinating man, a renowned and original scholar, and a brilliant teacher whose love of education is evident in nearly every sentence he writes. While most of us focus on the development of a beautiful body (we at Science Link included), Bloom makes a powerful argument for the development of the beautiful soul – without evading the problems that those who seek to better their soul will face (indeed, the very word “soul” is all but laughable in the modern vernacular). Challenging, but rewarding; inspirational, without condescending. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Every Second Counts, by Lance Armstrong and Sally Jenkins
This book picks up right where the first left off. It is written in the same style by Jenkins and takes a look at Armstrongs life as he goes on to win five tour de France races in a row. Inside he talks about how wining the Tour five times in a row has brought about fame and fortune, and how he has had difficulty dealing with it all. Armstrong is an extremely likeable guy as you get the sense he is like your regular, every day Joe, and a man with an internal greatness, all at once. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

The Game, by Ken Dryden
The Game is perhaps the finest hockey book ever written. Ken Dryden, current Toronto Maple Leafs president and former goalie of the Montreal Canadiens, gives a first hand account of what it is like to be a hockey player in the 1970’s with the famed Canadiens. He takes a look at such characters as Scotty Bowman, Guy Lafleur and Larry Robinson. If there is one hockey book to read, this is it. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Ghost Rider, by Neal Peart
Neal Peart, pioneering drummer from the band Rush and motorcycle enthusiast, lost both his wife (to cancer) and 19-year-old daughter (in an automobile accident) within 1 year’s time. His identity rocked to its core, Neal jumped on his BMW GS motorcycle and fled. With the wind in his face, Neal chronicles his search to find a way to cope with the grief and for a reason to go on living. If you’ve suffered a significant loss you’ll find a kindred spirit in Peart. If not, you’ll catch a glimpse at how fragile, yet resilient, even the most independent human spirit can be. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

It’s Not about the Bike, by Lance Armstrong and Sally Jenkins
This book is much more then two wheels, two pedals and a frame. Although Jenkins authors the book, when reading one gets the feel that Armstrong is sitting beside you in a coffee shop telling his story. From his early childhood days in Texas, to being diagnosed and defeating cancer, Armstrong shares the trials and tribulations of it all. For the cycling enthusiast there is plenty of Tour de France and road racing coverage to go along with the inspirational story. And that is what this book is, an inspirational story. The title holds true throughout the book as it is as much about life as it is about the bike. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Lucky Man, by Michael J Fox
What could Michael J Fox have to offer you in the way of inspiration? Pick up this book and learn that there’s a lot more to this guy than Alex P. Keaton. Acclaimed by nearly everyone who’s read this book as one of the best biographies they’ve ever read, this story offers a lot - from tales of Hollywood stardom to the internal monologue that accompanies receiving a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and then the anti-climactic state of living with this disease. Interestingly, while this book manages to inspire, it does so in a surprisingly humorous yet pedestrian way. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Moneyball, by Michael Lewis
Not a fan of baseball? Read this and you will surely become one. Lewis takes a look at Billy Beane, the general manger of small market Oakland Athletics, and how he has used unorthodox methods to keep his team among the American League best for the past few years. Inside you get told how Beane has accomplished this feat and get a detailed look at baseballs number crunchers and front office people. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Tuesdays With Morrie, by Mitch Albom
While we don’t necessarily like to parade out clichés like “we laughed, we cried”, this book may make you do both. It’s the story of one guy who rekindles a relationship with one of his university mentors who, preparing for his impending death from ALS, imparts some important lessons on how to live fully. The quirky Morrie is sure to charm and even if you’re a hardened cynic, when Morrie tells you that “love conquers all”, you might just, if for a brief moment, believe him. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

5. Fiction

A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole
A true masterpiece of American literature, and widely held to be one of the funniest books ever written. Toole, whose tragic life and early death have become near legendary, serves up a pointed and hilarious satire of the modern world that will leave you awestruck at the depth of the author’s genius. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand
Warning – a serious reading of this book may just change your life. Applying the same love of rugged individualism and American capitalism present throughout her writing, Rand endeavors to create a world where capable men and women can use their talents to find their highest expression in production, creation, and human progress. She has claimed that she writes people and places not as they are, but how they ought to be and that this book is her crowning achievement in this endeavor. Whether you end up agreeing with Rand’s philosophy or not, your intellectual, social, and political development won’t be complete without reading this opus. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

Contact, by Carl Sagan
Not only could Sagan write provocative non-fiction, he could also do fiction. Contact is the story of the objective and visionary astrophysicist (Dr Ellie Arraway) who’s convinced that there is intelligent life elsewhere in the cosmos and is determined to find it. To her surprise, when she does, events are set in motion revealing our human frailty, prejudices, hypocrisies, and fears. Sagan uses these events as a forum for exploring reason vs. faith, integrity vs. political correct behavior, and the engrossing question of whether there is intelligent life out there. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

The Decameron, by Giovanni Boccaccio
100 connected tales by one of histories greatest storytellers. The size of the book and the fact that it was written in the 14th century might seem off-putting to the average reader, but then again, if you’re reading this site, you aren’t the average reader. In any case, it can be enjoyably read both piecemeal as individual stories or as a connected whole. If you think that storytelling is a lost art, Boccaccio will be a captivating read. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand
The books of Ayn Rand (especially this one and Atlas Shrugged) have been ranked as some of the most influential books of all time. How did this Russian immigrant and screenwriter turned philosopher so influence millions of North American readers? Through her love of the rugged individualism so championed by the North American way of life, that’s how. This book presents Howard Roark, the archetype egoist in his unwavering commitment to remaining integral to all that he sees as beautiful, noble, and uplifting in this world. It also presents a legion of individuals struggling to drag Roark down into the ranks of the common and, according to Rand, base. Whether you love Rand’s sense of life or not, whether you love her writing style or not, you can’t help but love her passion for integrity and human progress.

The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
To foist clichéd superlatives upon this masterpiece would be a terrible insult to its greatness. Biblical and poetic in tone, grand in scope, profoundly moving – The Grapes of Wrath is that rare novel that appeals directly to the soul. Can’t be recommended highly enough. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This book bears the distinct curse of being one of the most often assigned books in High School English classes across the US. Yet despite its onerous introduction, this book has been known to convert a few young people into literature lovers (JB included). While complete isn’t a word often used to praise literature, this book represents one of the most complete stories we’ve ever read. There is nothing extraneous - yet nothing is left out. Fitzgerald spins an exquisite tale rich with character development, brilliant use of symbolism, and an amazing empathetic character. But what makes this book so good is the poetic, magical quality that’s only been achieved in a select group of books since the dawn of book publishing. The story positively sparkles, like a perfect diamond. It’s difficult to remember that Fitzgerald was a very fallible human being after reading The Great Gatsby. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

The Gunslinger and the Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King
This book isn’t your typical Stephen King horror story. Rather it’s a 7 book adventure series that began in 1982 with the quest of Roland of Gilead, an adventure hero created and inspired by a rare hybrid of JRR Tolken’s imagination and Clint Eastwood’s squinted visage. The first book, The Gunslinger was released in 1982 and the seventh book, The Dark Tower is about to be released any day now. Over 20 years of Stephen King went into these books and if you happen to pick up a copy of The Gunslinger you’ll be glad Stephen didn’t stick to only horror stories. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

The Republic of Plato, translation and interpretive essay by Allan Bloom
It has been said that all subsequent philosophy is but footnotes to Plato, so if you have it in you to read one “philosophy book”, this is it. To attempt a two-sentence summary of one of histories richest reads would be pretty ridiculous, so I will refrain from that folly. Suffice it to say that the content will not disappoint. A warning, though: this is not an easy read; it is, however, certainly a rewarding one. Bloom’s translation is the best, and his interpretive essay is brilliant, concise and extremely helpful in making sense of perhaps the greatest of all thinkers. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

The SpaceTrilogy (Out of The Silent Planet, Perelandria, That Hideous Strength), by CS Lewis
You may be familiar with CS Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. That collection of books was a childhood staple for many as the books barely contained the unique imagination of Lewis (a regular lunch mate of JRR Tolken) and the seeds of Lewis’ theology. This series - we’ll call it Narnia for Grown-ups. In this 3 book science fiction series, Lewis begins by following a mad scientist and an accidental celestial tourist to a world far older and more advanced than ours, a world where words like war are non-existent. Lewis’ knowledge of word roots allows him to play with language to demonstrate how language can reflect culture, philosophy, and belief systems. As the story progresses to book two, this series dips into allegory, visiting a pure, young world and revising the story of the Garden of Eden with a unique and fresh perspective. Finally, in the last book of the series, the reluctant hero of the series returns to Earth to fight and epic struggle with evil. To try to summarize all the themes and the richness of this series here would be fraudulent. If you’re interested in culture, thought, and insight into the absurdities of some of our own cultural phenomena, view our culture thru the eyes of Lewis’ creations.

The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
Hemingway is one of those writers that you either get or you don’t. If you get him, you’ll find that he accomplishes his goal of writing a book that’s “truer” than if it had really happened. In his simplicity, Hemingway captures emotions by casting shadows rather than by telling you how to feel as other authors do. That’s why some feel nothing when reading Hemingway – they are familiar with being told how to feel rather than discovering the feelings themselves. In this book, Hemingway explores the Spanish obsession with bullfighting while telling the story of Jake Barnes and his group of chic but emotionally empty companions. The tension and longing for something important, some grander meaning, is palpable, showing that Hemingway, in his cosmic despair, wasn’t quite a nihilist just yet. (Buy also from amazon.ca)

The Tesseract, by Alex Garland
This book was a critical darling, but from what I can tell, a bit of a disappointment to the reading public. It’s not hard to see why. Garland’s first book, The Beach (later turned into an abysmal movie starring Leonardo Di Caprio), was heralded as the first effort of a literary genius in the making, and people loved it. Personally, I thought it was superficial and predictable, which is not to say that it didn’t have its merits. In any case, The Tesseract is substantially different, and to me, substantially better. It is subtle where The Beach was obvious, deep where The Beach was shallow. Furthermore, it displays a graceful authorship not seen in the first book, replacing clumsy and heavy-handed symbolism with quiet insight into the human condition. In addition, it is a beautifully woven story connecting seemingly disparate plots – Garland makes everything, no matter how small, seem significant. (Buy also from amazon.ca)