jock librarian

In How to Be Sexy, Carmen Electra freely admits she does not read novels; rather, she prefers self-help. I'm not sure which titles make the model/actress's top ten list, but I suspect she's not a Chicken-Soup-for-the-Soul kinda gal.

Lately, I have joined Ms. Electra's camp and been on a major league self-help reading binge. Sports psychology and motivational titles are my current staples. And Working Out, Working Within: The Tao of Inner Fitness through Sports and Exercise by Jerry Lynch and Chungliang Al Huang is a recent favorite. Based on ideas adapted from the Tao Te Ching and the I Ching, the book offers practical advice on goal setting, developing personal strength and improving athletic performance. Additionally, it presents a number of inspirational stories:

A sixty-year old athlete had set a goal of running under three hours in the marathon. After thirteen unsuccessful attempts at his almost impossible task, a friend asked why he continued to attempt what seemed to be a futile ambition. Without a moment's hesitation, he stated that the attainment of the goal was not the objective; his kick was the elation he experienced in other parts of his life from setting that goal: repeated months and years of joy, training at high levels, getting into shape, eating well and feeling terrific. Nothing else in life could do that for him. The goal became simply a lantern that illuminated his way and, according to him, "kept me totally involved with health and wellness, a process relevant to my spiritual growth in all aspects of life."