Customer Reviews

Never Let Go: A Philosophy of Lifting, Living and Learning

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Anything will work for three to six months. What then? That's the dynamic message I got from Dan's book. Oh, there was a lot more here. But I generally take one or two new and interesting ideas from a book --- assuming it's a good book. And this one is.

Dan's book is really a collection of essays. They're not in any particular order. I say that because he mentions his fat period twice --- once in the early part of the book and again towards the end. Both are written in the time he is recovering from his fatness.

But that doesn't take away from the messages of the book.

Dan believes in making things simple. Not easy, he says. But simple. I like that idea more and more as I get older. It makes more sense for anyone. Our lives are already far too confusing and full and rushed and out of control.

Dan recons we should focus on our main goal and plan our activities, our workouts and exercises accordingly. If you want to lose weight, you must follow different activities than someone who wants to get power or strength or run a marathon, for example.

Again, this makes sense and simplifies things for us. This is the way Bruce Lee was able to be so great in martial arts. He tried many things and discarded the things that didn't work or didn't help him in his main persuit --- his goals for his unique purposes.

I find this idea empowering. And you'll find it in abundance in Dan's new book.

While you might think the book is written for weight lifters or bodybuilders, it's really for anyone who wants to get fit.

Some of it you may discard. You may find parts of it just don't apply to you. But there is enough encouragement and no BS information in the book that you'll thoroughly enjoy it and come away the wiser. You'll profit with more useful workouts that actually get you to your goal.

Dan cuts through the myths and the outright lies we see in advertising and muscle mags and gets to the heart of the matter. He tells it like it is. And since he's not a young man, we know he's probably tried it all and seen most of it and is well equipped to give you honest solutions.

Buy this book if you need encouragement in your training and fitness program. Moreover, buy it if you want to learn how to cut through the BS and get to the real meat of how to get from where you are to where you want to be.

Highly recommended.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson

Everything I know about lifting, I learned from Dan John.

There's been a lot written about Dan John lately. It's reassuring to see him getting his due, because here's a man who's walked the walk, his whole life, and is still smiling and enthusiastic about his passions. He's genuine.

I've known Dan for a while now. We met online in 1999 or 2000, and corresponded frequently, in email and on assorted message boards and in the occasional phone call. In 2007 I finally got to meet him, twice, both out in Utah and at Denison University in Ohio. I consider him a friend, and knowing him has much enriched my life.

I held off writing this bit until I'd gone through his book a few times. It's hard not saying what other folks have said: Dan's down-to-earth voice and advice cuts through noise and is pure signal, Dan's a humble genius. Dan's a coach's coach. Dan's gently scathing humor draws our attention to the realities of life and lifting and competition.

I can't match the eloquent and descriptive phrases such luminaries like Pavel Tsatsouline and Dave Draper and others have used to describe Dan's contribution to the written word of the Iron Game. I can only say that it's good. It's excellent. It's humbling to me personally. Explaining why is difficult, if not impossible.

If you buy one book about training, hell, if you buy one book about life, this year, or this even decade, make it Dan's book. You might not 'get it' yet. That's OK. You will.

Superb information presented in a clear, highly readable style. He provides an unbiased look at everything from weight training to goal setting. The author is refreshingly self effacing. The book is written as a series of semi-connected essays (originally written as individual articles) and there's not a clunker in the bunch. He's given me a ton of new ideas for my own training. Great stuff.

I only have about 50 pages to go, and I can't wait to start the book again! This is, beyond a doubt, the best book I have ever read - EVER! Filled with the most sensible, logical, yet often mis-understood information for health, training, recovery, and strength - this book is worth its weight in gold. Don't ever try to compare this book to anything else you have ever read - there is nothing that comes close. Open the book, pick one, out of any of the chapters, do the program in that particular chapter - as Dan says, and you will be a better person, in more ways than one. Get it - it really is that good!

I've read hundreds of exercise/weightlifting books. Not only is this book a joy to read, it has some of the best and most useful information on lifting available. Defintely in the top 10, of the best books on lifting ever written!

If you pick up weights, then read this book. This is years of experimentation and analysis condensed into one book. It's not a book of routines and exercises, it's goes so much more deeper than that. It's the philosophy of what makes for a successful person on the gym floor. It's the insight into what's needed to succeed and be the best we can be.

This book is the voice of a true coach pushing you forward and inspiring your every lift. It's the reality check that the fitness industry and what every person training sorely needs right now. Magazines are filled with more and more exotic exercises. Gyms are filled with more and more complicated machines. To achieve your goals all you need to do is simplify and pick something heavy up.

This is the only book that has given me a true direction with my training, something that no other has. It's the only book to answer all those questions you have after learning a new programme or wondering what it is your really doing. Read it, live it, lift it.

If you know Coach Dan John at all, then you will know that what he writes is worth reading. You might have seen the online download "From The Ground Up". This book, derived largely from his posts on Tnation and so on, is a compendium packed full of no-nonsense information. It is very well-written, every section has something you can implement, and his focus on old-fashioned hard work is just what we need as an antidote to much of modern so-called fitness writing. But more than this, the lessons in the book are I feel universal, and the subtitle is not at all pompous or pretentious. The lessons contained in this volume are applicable to so much of life. I had a copy rushed to me from the US, and cannot recommend it too highly. As a companion to Marty Gallagher's "Purposeful Primitive" and the books by Pavel Tsatsouline, this book is in good company. As a set, they are all you really need to get informed, get motivated, and get stuck in.

Dan's knowledge of strength training and competition is excellent! For the most part this is an enjoyable read and quite motivating for anyone who trains with weights. The only thing that I didn't like about the book was that some of the content is a bit repetitive.

Great kick in the pants - Dan won't let you fall into a rut. I've been lifting weights for 25 years and this collection of articles was a wonderful reminder to mix it up a bit and to keep pushing forward. Ruts are graves with the ends kicked out - and you can't read Dan without acknowledging that you have fallen into some ruts. A very positive and unique contribution to the fitness industry.

I wish I had read this 20 years ago when I started lifting. On the other hand, I probably wouldn't have been smart enough to make use of it.

It's more of a collection of short stories than a workout guide. Each chapter tells a story that highlights a few ideas that correspond to his philosophy of lifting and life. Many of his lessons were learned the hard way, and like everyone, mistakes were repeated on multiple occasions before they were learned.

Workout programs are included throughout the chapters and are "simple" but definitely not easy. If you're looking for a workout book with a cookie cutter program, this isn't the book for you. In my opinion, the strength of the book is its ability to put things in perspective and maximize your program to reach your goals. In some ways, its like having a coach to guide you and question what (and why) you are doing certain workouts.

Easy to read, with a ton of wisdom. A nice guide to help you down a straighter path to your goals.