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Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning edited by Thomas R Baechle for the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Published by Human Kinetics (Europe), PO Box IW14, Leeds LS16 6Tf7, 1994 (ISBN 0 87322 694 I). ///us. 544 pages. f40.

This comprehensive book examines the scientific principles, concepts, theories and practical applications of strength training and condi- tioning. The information is substantiated by sound academic references from scientific journals.

Thomas Baechle has edited the book with quite a n impressive list of contributors; many of the names being familiar among the North American literature on the subject.

There are 35 chapters divided into five parts covering concepts of the exercise sciences, testing and evaluation, technique, programme design and organisation and ad- ministration.

Part 1 comprises almost half the book with a chapter devoted to every aspect of the theory from the anatomy, physiology and biome- chanics of muscle work to various tissue adaptations to exercise. These include adaptations to the neuromuscular, endocrine, connec- tive tissue, psychological and cardiorespiratory systems and ‘general’.

There are also chapters covering nutrition, performance enhancing substances, weight gain and loss, and eating disorders.

Part 2 discusses the relative

merits of different testing proce- dures and how to set up accurate, reproducible protocols and proce- dures for research. Part 3 covers warm-up techniques, stretching, plyometrics and spotting tech- niques. Part 4 describes various training methods, how to select appropriate exercises, their inten- sity, frequency, volume and the amount of rest. Principles such as periodisation are also included.

Finally, part 5 discusses the day- to-day management of facilities, layout, equipment maintenance and dealing with emergencies. There is also a small section on rehabilita- tion which confines itself to serving mainly as a glossary for common rehabilitation terms.

As the general breakdown of the book shows, it covers a very wide area of reference but the depth of the content does not suffer because of the amount of subjects covered. There are no colour illustrations but the black and white line diagrams, graphs and tables are clear and easy to understand. Another feature which makes quick reference easier is that key words in the text are highlighted in bold type. They are then listed at the end of each chapter along with a list of self- assessment questions.

For $40 this book does seem exceptionally good value as there are very few single sources for this amount of recent material on this subject. The text is easy to read and the layout simple to follow. I would

Left: The three planes of the human body in the anatomical position. Right: the ‘/hid ball‘ resulting from contraction of the deep abdominal muscles and the diaphragm. Two illustrations from ‘Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning’

recommend this book to students and clinicians looking for a compre- hensive reference source on training methods. It would be a good invest- ment for individuals with an interest in the subject or for depart- ment libraries looking for a good reference source.

Nicola Phillips MCSP

Massage and Aromatherapy: A guide for professionals by Andrew Vickers. Chapman and Hall, London, 1996 (ISBN 0 4 12 57630 9). Illus. 3 1 1 pages. f 15.99.

Most books available on aroma- therapy are made up of ‘How to massage’ guides with lists of oils. The approach of this book is to cover the entire concept of aromatherapy in a logical and comprehensive way, encompassing practice, competency, and management as well as areas of specific interest such as hospice care, paediatrics and mental health.

The unique aspect of this book is its wealth of references, having drawn together most of the current relevant research in the area with a rich reference section a t the end. My only criticism would be that a list of references at the end of each chapter would have made for much easier access for the reader, but the issues of space and repetition prob- ably outweighed the benefit from the point of view of the publisher.

The text itself offers rational argument in language which is easy to understand.

I would strongly recommend this book as a reference book for any physiotherapy service using or contemplating the use of aroma- therapy.

Colette Murphy MCSP

Bathrobics for Pregnancy - For health and vitality during and after pregnancy by Jane Dorey MCSP. Bathrobics Publi- cations, 1995.

This book, which was reviewed in the October 1996 issue of Physio- therapy, is now available by mail order from Blooming Marvellous Ltd, PO Box 12F, Chessington, Surrey KT9 2LS. The price is S14.99 plus 52.99 postage.