Stuff You Should Read: April Edition

I have a small but growing stack of books beside my desk at home and am slowly starting to work my way through it. I thought I’d share some of the stuff I’ve been absorbing over the past few months. Guess I’m a book-pimp, but as they say, ‘pimpin ain’t easy, but it’s a whole lotta fun!!’

1: PRO Blogger: Secrets for Blogging your Way to a Six-Figure Income

This was a pretty cool book that showed me some interesting ways of gaining a passive income without force-feeding advertisements down all of your throats or making you think I’ve completely sold out. Plus, it’s based on a website made for bloggers which I’ve actually taken a shine to called problogger.net. I have a couple of other books on internet marketing and blogging for profit, but haven’t made it through them yet.

2. The Tipping Point

This book outlines the key ingredients to turning an idea, thought process, product, or disease into an epidemic. Those interested in launching a product would be wise to base their marketing campaign around the tried and tested lessons found in this book. I’m pretty sure that after closely following Tim Ferriss’ launch for his 4-Hour Body book that he took a lot of ideas from here.

3.  Advances in Functional Training

Mike is incredibly direct in his line of thinking, a process that is sorely missed in the fitness industry these days. His directive of “if it works, we’ll try it, but if it doesn’t, we’ll discard it” is so utilitarian that it disposes of the smoke and mirrors often used with new fitness products or exercise theories and processes. All you get are the essence of what makes strength and conditioning whole: a great program design tool that can help any individual reach their personal goals, and a thought process that simplifies the exercise selection process to an almost formulaic concept. While I may not necessarily agree with everything he says or the processes he uses to reach conclusions, he would be the first to ask why and change his thoughts if he felt it warranted, which is incredibly rare in the world today, and for that I salute him.

4. Manual Therapy: Nags, Snags, MWMs – 6th edition

Ever read a book that had you slapping your own forehead and yelling out “OF COURSE!!! IT’S ALL SO SIMPLE NOW!!!” Well, this may be one of those books to open up the gates of knowledge. From the guy who created the Mulligan Technique of manual therapy, this book has a different view of how the body works and what the linked systems can do together, as well as processes to fix problem areas (snags, referring to fascial dysfunctions).

5. Therapeutic Exercises for Spinal Segment Stabilization in Low Back Pain: Scientific Basis and Clinical Approach

Currently there’s a lot of professionals out there emphasizing “anti-rotation/extension/flexion/anything” involving the core. 10 years ago it was stand up and move around with all your limbs. 20 years ago it was lay down and crunch till you puke. Crunches worked, until they didn’t. Functional training worked, until people realized they just moved better but weren’t any stronger. The anti-movement works, but will we find any problems with its’ approach? What’s the next big leap forward in core training? Read on.

What are you reading right now?? Leave a comment below and let me know what books you’re crushing and what your opinions are, and maybe I’ll pick up a copy.