It is incredibly hard to get authoritative information on weightlifting. There are scores of books on how "bodybuilders" like Arnold Scharzenegger train to give their muscles that surreal appearence, but finding information on how the strongest athletes in the world train is almost impossible. This is because that information has been closely guarded by the Eastern European weightlifting powers, resides in the back issues of weightlifting magazines that are no longer published, or is available only in the little known hard core weightlifting gyms scattered sparsely around this country and the rest of the world. Drechsler has pulled together most of what is out there in this truly monumental book. From training, to technique, to selecting the right equipment, to creating a training program, to preparing for competiton, to preventing and dealing with injuries, to eating right, to addressing the special needs of women, young and more mature athletes - it's all here in this near 600 page/400,000 word work. The annotated bibliography and resource list alone are worth the price of the book. Despite his obvious expertise, the author guides you with simple and clear language through what can be an incredibly complex subject. He gives you the benefit of his experience and is clear about his preferences with regard to such areas as technique and training, but he presents a balanced view on each topic that gives each of the often warring factions in weightlifting theory their due. Whether you want to read this book from cover to cover or by randomly selected topics, the unbelievably extensive table of contents and index provide a solid guide. There is even an explanation of how the beginner can select 50 pages or so from the book and be well prepared for a trip to the gym. It seems like the author has thought of everything! We've need a source of weightlifting information for years and this book is certainly it. If authors of other how to books about other sports (or anything else) would take notice,! we'd all get better at what we need to do a lot faster. This book is a home run!