Reviews (9)

Yes, A Useful Walking Technique
While ChiRunning was the first running technique book I'd ever read, ChiWalking is definitely the first walking book I've ever set eyes on. With something that we do almost unconsciously, it's kind of silly to think that we'd need an instructional on how to put one foot in front of the other, right?
If you love to walk, don't pass this book by!
****
inspirational
I have only read the first few chapters, but I can already tell my life will be improved when I take actions described. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Exercise    2. Healing - Energy (Chi Kung, Reiki, Polarity)    3. Health aspects    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Tai chi    7. Training    8. Walking    9. Sports & Recreation / Walking   

Reviews (16)

Excellent instruction and easy to read
This book provides excellent instruction on land navigation.Even if you know nothing of how to use a compass or map when you begin reading, you'll have a good working knowledge by the time you're through with the book.It is well written, easy to understand and even includes a fold-out topographic map in the back (actually, about a third of a topographic map, but it gets the job done).The map allows you to work the exercises found in the book (which are quite helpful).The book was written some time ago and Hjellstrom does focus on the sport of orienteering, but as the entire point of that activity is navigation using a map and compass, I don't see this as a negative.As others have pointed-out he does not cover newer topics such as GPS or altimeters, but if you're buying it to learn to use a map and compass, that really isn't an issue either.This is a well written book that provides solid instruction and is certainly worth the purchase price.

Good Read
This is a must read for teens or adults wishing to learn how to read and use maps and compass.From hiking in the nations parks to your local wooded areas, learning what is in this book will make sure you are NEVER lost!

A good primer
If you want to get the basics in an easy to read format, this is for you. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Compass    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Hiking    4. Maps    5. Orienteering    6. Outdoor Life    7. Outdoor Skills    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Walking    11. Crafts & Hobbies / General    12. Maps, charts & atlases    13. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Reviews (4)

A good one
The Backpackers Handbook is more informative and easier to read than the other two books I bought recently (Hiking Light Handbook, and Everyday Wisdom).Save your time and read this one alone.

Best book of its kind i have seen
I got three backpacking type handbooks at a library and read all three this is by far the best one. It has the most in depth information and is enjoyable to read.

The title says it all...
This is, without doubt, the best book on backpacking I've read. Just the right balance between specific recommendations and general advice, objective information and personal opinion. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Backpacking    2. Camping    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Hiking    5. Mountaineering    6. Outdoor Life    7. Outdoor Skills    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Sports & Recreation / Hiking    11. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Reviews (10)

Great Book!
I thought this book was great!If you are thinking about training or starting to train, you definitely need to read this book.They give great advice and give you the confidence to do things you never thought you could.

Informative and inspirational
I love this book!After completing many marathons, I received this book as a gift, and it made me want to go right out and do another.As a coach for endurance athletes, I give this book to each of them during their training for marathons/half marathons.Full of good information for the first timer and inspiration for the multi-race finisher.

Very inspiring
This is a great book for anyone thinking of training for a long distance event. I ordered this as an extra copy for another first time race participant. It is very easy reading and lots of laughs. It is the bible of our walking group. Last year 6 of us completed our first ever half marathon at Disney. This year we'll have over 10 with some doing their first marathon. It truely helps the average Joe believe he can complete a long distance event. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Marathon running    3. Running & Jogging    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Training    7. Walking   

Reviews (9)

Awesome book for the experienced runner and novice walker
As I read this book (I am beginning a walking program), I became very honored to read about all the blood, sweat, and tears Ms. Switzer went through during her career as a runner.She makes you feel you are with her during those times.Her advice is sound, professional, and in your best interest.If you listen to what she tells you, i.e., how your shoes and clothes should fit; how you should start out on your program; and the wonderful advice to "get you out the door," you willhave a very long and rewarding running/walking program, that can and will enhance your life.This book has really changed my outlook, my exercise capacity, and pretty much my overall health!Thanks for writing this book, Ms. Switzer. I owe you big time!Sandy, in Florida.

Errors
This book comes across as poorly edited and researched.Contains mispelled words and incorrect statements such as "air is 80% oxygen".It is also hard for a beginning runner to relate to a marathoner who has run for almost her entire life.

INSPIRING AND SENSIBLE! BRAVO!
I hadn't run for 17 years and never ran more than 3.5 miles. (I'm 40.)With the help of this book, I am up to 5 miles (and counting!).The book is easy to read.The program is easy to follow.However, this book is for people who are basically in good health and who like to exercise.The book will not GIVE you motivation, it will simply help you if you are already somewhat motivated and want to get in better shape.I have followed her advice, gotten great results and enjoyed the process. This book has been worth a million to me! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Diet / Health / Fitness    2. Exercise    3. Fitness walking    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health/Fitness    6. Middle aged women    7. Middle-aged women    8. Running    9. Running & Jogging    10. Running for women    11. Walking    12. Women's Health - General    13. Exercise & workout books    14. Sports & Recreation / Running & Jogging   

Reviews (21)

I like Walker III better
It seems that Colin Fletcher has relinquished too much in this edition to his coauthor. Understandably he is no longer a gearhead and lets Chip Rawlins review equipment. Rawlins has at least as much text in these pages as Fletcher so be prepared for a different read.
Plain and Simple...THE BACKPACKING BIBLE!!
Not only is this book a treasure trove of information, it is an absolute joy to read. I have grown up with this book and I have had every edition of it since it's inception. There are other very good backpacking books out there but this is still the best. Mr. Fletcher also did a great job of selecting Chip Rawlins to co write the book and inevitably carry the torch for future generations of backpackers. I am already looking forward to the next edition.

A classic of the first order. Buy It!
`The New Complete Walker' is one of those books which as probably never been outdone and probably never will be. It is easily in the same class, in my mind, as Julia Child's `Mastering the Art of French Cooking', Donald Knuth's `The Art of Programming', and Snedecor and Cochrane's `Statistical Methods'. When this book was first published, it's author was a fairly notable celebrity, interesting enough to appear as a subject on `To Tell the Truth', but not quite recognizable enough to be unfamiliar to the contestant on that show. I still recall the book's being touted on several outlets.
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Subjects:  1. Backpacking    2. Hiking    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Walking    6. Sports & Recreation / Hiking   

Reviews (9)

amazing hikes, erroneous details
This book is a perfect introduction to the wealth of hiking possibilities in patagonia - many of them are still significantly under-used and of equal calibre to the more famous routes. The general information sections are quite good, and give a good feel for what conditions are like both trekking and travelling in general; a good purchase for planning your trip. Where the book falls down is on the actual trekking notes, which are consistently inaccurate, obscenely outdated and sometimes quite misleading (see other reviews). On this front, Cerro Electrico is not safe - however Cerro Electrico Oeste is safely climbable without mountaineering equipment (although crampons are a nice idea) and gives mind-blowing views of the rear of Fitzroy - I think this might be what the author actually had in mind.
An Unparallelled Resource
Like all Lonely Planet guides, Trekking in Patagonia is very much geared to independent trekkers. Considering how huge Patagonia is, the book covers it pretty thoroughly with a wide range of suggestions, from easy short walks right up to a few week-long ones. The text is strong on practical information like local transportation and accommodation and supplies wide coverage to flora and fauna, which is a real bonus. Well-done work
I am using the latest (thid ed.) on my second trip to South America. It an indispensable resource with very accurate text and maps which are quite accurate to use even if you you don't have a topo (yeah I know, but maps are not always easy to buy here). The routes carefuly prepared...this new edition has a whole lot of new trails. I'm also finding it up to date. One thing is maybe that the authors could have given better coverage to some areas such as the Pumalin. But this is more than enough material to spend a couple of summers down here anyhow, even if you just go for it! I definitely feel anyone that wants to trek in this region will be sorry if you don't have this book. Enjoy! Feel free to contact me privately for any info.Read more

Subjects:  1. South America    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Andes    5. Argentina    6. Chile    7. Travel & holiday guides    8. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Reviews (8)

Excellent source
My wife is considering hiking the trail and gave this book high marks.

GOOD REFERENCE
You have to admit, this IS a good general reference book for the virgin AT hiker, because of its size; good info compacted and goes well with other sources, but you won't find a seasoned through-hiker carrying one!

Mediocre Literature
I personally have bought every book possible concerning the Appalachian Trail while planning my thru-hike.However, if you are concerned about money, or wasting time reading for that matter, I would advise not to buy any of Jan Curran's books.I have read all three of his on the AT and have found them very boring, to the point of difficult to finish.Other books out there are much worthwhile.Read more

Subjects:  1. Appalachian Trail    2. Guidebooks    3. Hiking    4. Reference - General    5. Travel    6. Travel - United States    7. United States - General    8. Walking   

Reviews (6)

THE Best Book on Walking!
I have read many books on walking, and this is by far the best. It is good for the novice or expert and contains a great progressional walking program that you can jump into at any point.

The Average minus Non-Readers is 5 Stars
Two jerks in the review pool gave the book a 1 star despite the fact they had never read it.I guess they will have to wait for the made for TV movie.

I love this book!
I've bought this book four times now, because I show my copy to a family member or friend and they get so excited about it, I give them my copy and then have to go buy another one.This is the best walking book I've ever come across, with good information for the total beginner or the experience walker who just wants some extra motivation.Buy it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Diet / Health / Fitness    2. Exercise    3. Fitness walking    4. Physical fitness    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Walking    8. Weight loss    9. Exercise & workout books    10. Reference / Personal & Practical Guides    11. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Reviews (3)

Good lightweight primer
I thought it was an excellent book in which I learned something after almost 20 years of field work and backpacking.Weakness: He should have had a little more detail about packing light in different environments besides the preface.In particular, hiking high elevations even in the summer months requires a little more insulation at camp.

A rather lightweight book ...
With a nod to the author's experience, I'd say the book is light on content.
Lightweight Backpacking makes sense!
What a wonderful little book with some just amazing ideas!I've been lightweight backpacking for several years now, and Don Ladigin has included bits of his wisdom that will make time spent out in the wilderness even more rewarding.Some of his ideas seem so simple and straightforward, I wonder why I didn't think of that!Thanks Don! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Backpacking    2. Camping    3. Equipment and supplies    4. Hiking    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Sports & Recreation / Hiking    8. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Reviews (3)

Good book, good motivator
Thought this book helped to motivate me on the 10,000 step goal even though at times it was fairly unrealistic to think one would move to the city in the interest of taking more steps!It lays out a six week program that is realistic and achievable.I feel better already 3 weeks into it.

It worked for me in Europe
I am an American who lived in Europe for about 8 years. I walked everywhere, probably 4 or more miles a day. I weighed about 180 back then. I now live in the U.S. (Dallas) and weigh about 192. I can tell you, walking works. My dad told me when he visited me in Europe how fit I was and thin. I ate all the same "fatty" foods as now, and drank as much beer, but I still was thinner, because I walked so much. This book shows you how to do it. I now have a pedometer on my belt and I try to get the "gold standard" of about 9,500 steps a day, which is the average in central Europe. I know this works, because I did it.

Walking is thebest Medicine(Hippocrates)
This important walking recommendation and lifestyle advice was already given around 450 BC by the classic Greek physician Hippocrates. "Pedometer Walking" is a very welcome and timely book by experts to update this advise with the help of a modern stepcounter.
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Subjects:  1. Diet / Health / Fitness    2. Fitness walking    3. General    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health/Fitness    6. Physical fitness    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Walking    9. Weight loss    10. Exercise & workout books    11. Health & Fitness / General    12. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Subjects:  1. Europe - Great Britain - General    2. Europe - Gt. Britain/London    3. Maps & Road Atlases    4. Non-Classifiable    5. Nonfiction    6. Nonfiction - General    7. Travel    8. Travel - Foreign    9. London, Greater London    10. Travel & holiday guides    11. Travel / Europe / Great Britain    12. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Reviews (1)

Sidebar Information Erroneous/Out of Date
As the author of "The Complete Guide to Easter Island" (Easter Island Foundation, 2004), I recently read with keen interest the sidebar "The Incas and Easter Island" in the 2005 edition of "The Inca Trail" (p.97) and thought readers would find it helpful to know that the information in the sidebar is significantly out of date. In one case, it is completely erroneous.
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Subjects:  1. Hiking    2. South America    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Peru    6. Travel & holiday guides    7. Travel / South America    8. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Features

• Audiobook
• Unabridged

Reviews (4)

Sometimes basic is best....
I have many walking tapes, but sometimes I just want the encouragement without all the blather.This CD set a very nice pace, and I found Rita "speaking up" periodically helped to keep me focus when I started to drift off.One advantage to this over my iPod playlist is sometimes the music beat is too fast, and I'll get so caught up in the increased tempo that I risk straining something.I bought 2 more copies for family members.

The Healthy Heart Walking CD
This was a waste of money.I wishI could exchange it for a more effective CD.

Getting out and walking
I find I get bored easily when out walking,so the Healthy Heard Walking CD seems to keep me focused and gives me a goal to look forward to.I would recommend it as a useful tool for getting out of the house and moving! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audiobooks    2. Diseases - Heart    3. Exercise    4. Fitness walking    5. General    6. Health & Fitness    7. Health aspects    8. Health/Fitness    9. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    10. Walking    11. Health & Fitness / General   

Reviews (1)

Lose Weight by Walking: Tour Your City on Foot
This book could only be improved by more photos of the georgeous landscaping in and around Portland, Oregon. The cover shows four beautiful photos which the Amazon cover shot misses (you can hardly make them out), which is more than enough to whet the appetite.
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Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Hiking    3. Oregon    4. Portland    5. Portland (Or.)    6. Travel    7. Travel - United States    8. United States - Pacific - Oregon    9. United States - West - Pacific (General)    10. Walking    11. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)   

Reviews (13)

A fun attempt to showcase AT community
I read this book before my 2000 AT thru-hike and found the use of trail names confusing and kind of silly. I still feel that way now.
Great book.
This book is a must read for anyone interested in hiking part of or thru hiking the appalachian trail!

A trail to inspire us
"Walking the Appalachian Trail" captures the inspiring qualities of our most famous long-distance hiking trail.The history of the trail is in this book, and so are plenty of anecdotes that make the A.T. seem like it's right next door.I'm a day hiker (never a long-distance hiker), but this book still inspires me to hit the trail again, be it on the A.T. or a regional trail. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Appalachian Trail    2. Cycling - General    3. Description and travel    4. Hiking    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Walking    8. North America    9. Travel & holiday guides    10. USA    11. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Reviews (4)

good place to start
I thought that it was a volume 2 to "walking for pleasure exercise" but it is really a revision of it. So either one is sufficent, no need for both books by this author. Covers the topics needed to get a good start on exercise walking, a little bit more on diet than the earlier book. A good choice for beginners
Malkin's book is excellent for the beginner. I can say that because I am one. Thoroughly informative!
Dr. Mort Malkin is one of the nation's leading authorities on aerobic walking. He has developed clinics, programs, seminars across the states. Also, check out his other best seller, "Walking, The Pleasure Exercise." Read more

Subjects:  1. Aerobics    2. Diet / Health / Fitness    3. Exercise    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health aspects    6. Health/Fitness    7. Hypertension    8. Reducing exercises    9. Stress management    10. Walking    11. Weight Loss    12. Aerobics & Step    13. Diets & dieting    14. Health & Fitness / Exercise   

Reviews (3)

A must read for Orienteers and others interested in basic land nav
This book is clear, concise and well-organized.It covers all the fundamentals of orienteering, and I think anyone that read it would have a good idea of what to expect on arriving at their first O event.Anyone who completed some of the exercises should have some confidence that he or she could complete at least an intermediate level O course (assuming reasonably good fitness). The book also includes very basic information on physical training (anyone who is a serious runner will not learn a lot from those sections, but trail running is different than road running, so don't skip those sections if you are strictly a road runner).The book also includes dozens of activities to teach various skills, and a good glossary.I highly recommend this book.

Never Get Lost Again
This book is a MUST for anyone who dreams of wandering off the beaten path. It teaches the skills and techniques to ensure safe travel through the woods. Down to Earth, clear explanations and practical advice
Good from begginer to medium/advanced, this book covers the basics of navigation as well as advanced techniques, such as handrailing.There are equipment and training chapters as well, in all a comprehensive book on a great sport. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Hiking    2. Orienteering    3. Outdoor Skills    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Walking   

Reviews (11)

Walk Away the Pounds: The Breakthrough 6-Week Program
Great workouts I have lost 15 lbs since I started the program about 6 weeks ago.

Walk Away the Pounds by Leslie Sansone
Gets us old timers out of the house and in the gym and go at my own pace.

Nice way to ease into an exercise
This book has been helpful to me because it eases me into exercising without overwhelming me with alot of 'rules' I need to follow.
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Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Diet Therapy    3. Exercise    4. Fitness walking    5. Health & Fitness    6. Health/Fitness    7. Reducing exercises    8. Walking    9. Weight Loss    10. Health & Fitness / Healthy Living   

Reviews (8)

Old Reliable
In 1981 I took the first edition of this book on a traditional north/south thru hike of the JMT and found it generally accurate and, most importantly, reassuring about the day(s) ahead.In preparation for a 25th anniversary reprise (this time south to north) I got the latest addition.About the only real difference is that the format is a little larger and the small inset maps are a little easier to read.
Mediocre Guidebook
A disclaimer: I have not used this book to hike the JMT.
WORST GUIDEBOOK EVER WRITTEN-DANGEROUS!
DO NOT EVEN LOOK AT THIS VILE,PESTILENT BOOK!IT WILL GET YOU LOST IN THE WILDERNESS!The author may be a very fine fellow, and is probably a better backpacker than I am, but he can NOT tell anyone how to get from point A to point B.I wasted days getting lost from this awful book, as he yakked endlessly about flora, fauna, and geology.Meanwhile, you the sucker stand there at unmarked trail intersections getting no help.Do NOT follow the author's dangerous contention that you don't need maps if you buy this book-its maps don't show you the OTHER trails, and get you lost. The Tuolomne and Devil's Postpile sections just may constitute the worst writing of all time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Backpacking    2. California    3. Guidebooks    4. Hiking    5. John Muir Trail    6. Reference    7. Travel    8. Travel - United States    9. United States - Pacific - California    10. United States - West - Pacific (General)    11. Travel & holiday guides    12. Walking, hiking, trekking