The professionalisation of sports coaching has demanded higher standards of leadership in order to improve performance and effectiveness. This book focuses on leadership in sports coaching, exploring key concepts and principles underpinned by a presentation of new empirical research. Placing social identity theory at its centre - a theory not previously applied to sports coaching - this book provides students and researchers with a powerful tool for understanding the complex social dynamic that is the coaching process. Its chapters cover all the central aspects of sports coaching, including leadership style, measuring effectiveness, motivation, confidence and team self-esteem. Chapters explore different coaching environments to investigate the extent to which social identity impacts on coaching and leadership. A ground-breaking contribution to this field of research, this book demonstrates the significance of social identity theory in sport for athletes, coaches and leaders. Leadership in Sports Coaching: A social identity approach is an illuminating read for any student or researcher with an interest in coaching theory, coaching practice, sport psychology, sport leadership or sport management.

Effective leadership is essential in any sports organisation, both in the boardroom and on the training pitch. Leadership in Sport is the first textbook to examine sports leadership in the round, across both management and coaching environments. It includes a dedicated section to underpinning core leadership theories, and employs a number of case studies throughout to show how best practice is applied in real world settings. Drawing on expertise from some of the leading academics and practitioners throughout the world, and from both disciplines, the book covers various leadership issues including: facilitative leadership strategic leadership leading effective change diversity in leadership communication and empathy motivation and performance. Key conceptual questions-the nature of leadership, its role in sport, styles of leadership, what constitutes ineffective leadership-and other contemporary issues are also explored to give students and practitioners the most complete and clear picture of contemporary leadership in sport. With useful features in every chapter, such as key terms and review questions, this is an essential text for sport management or coaching degree courses.

The professionalisation of sports coaching has demanded higher standards of leadership in order to improve performance and effectiveness. This book focuses on leadership in sports coaching, exploring key concepts and principles underpinned by a presentation of new empirical research. Placing social identity theory at its centre - a theory not previously applied to sports coaching - this book provides students and researchers with a powerful tool for understanding the complex social dynamic that is the coaching process. Its chapters cover all the central aspects of sports coaching, including leadership style, measuring effectiveness, motivation, confidence and team self-esteem. Chapters explore different coaching environments to investigate the extent to which social identity impacts on coaching and leadership. A ground-breaking contribution to this field of research, this book demonstrates the significance of social identity theory in sport for athletes, coaches and leaders. Leadership in Sports Coaching: A social identity approach is an illuminating read for any student or researcher with an interest in coaching theory, coaching practice, sport psychology, sport leadership or sport management.

Effective leadership is essential in any sports organisation, both in the boardroom and on the training pitch. Leadership in Sport is the first textbook to examine sports leadership in the round, across both management and coaching environments. It includes a dedicated section to underpinning core leadership theories, and employs a number of case studies throughout to show how best practice is applied in real world settings. Drawing on expertise from some of the leading academics and practitioners throughout the world, and from both disciplines, the book covers various leadership issues including: facilitative leadership strategic leadership leading effective change diversity in leadership communication and empathy motivation and performance. Key conceptual questions-the nature of leadership, its role in sport, styles of leadership, what constitutes ineffective leadership-and other contemporary issues are also explored to give students and practitioners the most complete and clear picture of contemporary leadership in sport. With useful features in every chapter, such as key terms and review questions, this is an essential text for sport management or coaching degree courses.

This is my most comprehensive and definitive work. In it you will learn:

What the philosophy of global warming is and why it is of great importance.

Why the decision-making process concerning the appropriate human response to global warming requires a consideration of the evolutionary forces which propel the planet.

Why cutting fossil fuel emissions is a futile exercise.

What the human species is and how it relates to the non-human life-forms of the Earth.

Why the human species has a special place in the universe and how this is related to global warming.

What it means to say that your life has a purpose.

Why the evolution of technology and the evolution of spirituality are deeply interconnected.

Why there is an urgent need for the technological regulation of the temperature of the Earth's atmosphere.

The book has 3 parts. Part 1 contains 12 chapters each of which contains a particular theme which is of relevance to the philosophy of global warming. Taken as a whole this part of the book can be thought of as providing a detailed overview of my philosophical worldview. Part 2 is a lengthy dialogue in which I respond to an Objector who poses 86 questions, queries and objections relating to my philosophical worldview. Part 3 contains 37 articles which expand on particular topics relating to the philosophy of global warming. I hope that by the end of the book you will have a clear understanding concerning your, and our, place in the universe and how this relates to global warming.

There are many ways in which humans can conceptualise the relationship between their species and their surroundings; these 'surroundings' can be taken to be the rest of the life-forms which exist on the Earth, or everything non-human that exists in the universe. In this book I focus on various possible relationships between the human species and the rest of the life-forms that exist (and those that have existed, and those that will exist in the future) on the Earth. Is there no deeply significant and meaningful relationship? Or, is the human species superior in some way? Or, is the human species inferior in some way? If you are familiar with my previous work you will be aware that I am particularly interested in how the relationship we are exploring relates to the 'environmental crisis'. I have suggested that the human species is superior in some way, and that the environmental crisis/human-induced global warming are positive events which indicate that the human species is fulfilling its role as saviour of life on Earth. I take this book to be a valuable addition to my previous writings. In it I consider at length the opposing view that the human species is an 'inferior destroyer' of the rest of life on Earth. I also outline the whole range of ways in which it is obvious that technology is in the interests of life on Earth. I also develop the view that the universe is a 'feeling universe' whose movements/evolution is directed by all parts of the universe seeking to move to higher states of feeling; and I explore how this plays out in the day-to-day lives of individual humans as they seek to live more happy and fulfilling lives. Furthermore, I describe how we live in an epoch which can best be described as a 'birthing process'; life on Earth is bringing forth the technological armour which will ensure its future survival. This is a birthing process, which like almost all births, entails a lot of pain and suffering. I suggest that this process will come to an end when the temperature of the atmosphere is being successfully technologically regulated. Finally, I outline the serious environmental problems that we face on the surface of the Earth and urge that we take both technological and non-technological actions to address these problems. If we can successfully do this then we can forge a sustainable and harmonious future for all life on Earth.

What is the relationship between humans and their surroundings? In order to understand the nature of this relationship we need to take the evolutionary perspective; we need to see the universe as an evolving entity which for billions of years has been very gradually been bringing forth new arrangements, and we need to appreciate that humans are some of these arrangements. The author claims that we live in an epoch in which a violent clash exists. The interactions between humans and their surroundings typically lead to the belief that humans are radically different from their surroundings. Yet, human knowledge has advanced to the point which has revealed the evolutionary perspective. The belief that humans are radically different from their surroundings violently clashes with the belief that the entire universe is an evolving entity which very gradually brings forth new arrangements. The author explores three interrelated aspects of the relationship between humans and their surroundings. Firstly, he seeks to understand why the violent clash exists: Why do contemporary humans typically consider themselves to be radically different from their surroundings? This exploration entails a consideration of how the human perceptual apparatus works, why human perceptions are inevitably constrained, and how conceptions of their surroundings are formed within humans. Secondly, he considers the likelihood that humans could actually be very similar to their surroundings; this entails an exploration of various phenomena such as mind, consciousness, naturalness, awareness, the senses, perception and 'what-it-is-likeness'. Thirdly, he considers whether the human species has a special place in the evolutionary process. This book takes the reader on quite a journey, covering issues such as the limits of our knowledge concerning evolution, the problem of consciousness, directionality in evolution, the location of pain, the purpose of life, how many senses a typical human has, the nature of perception, environmental science, the phantom limb phenomenon, the cosmic significance of technology, planetary astrobiology, the philosophy of biology, human uniqueness, the question of what it means to be human, the nature of the universe, the question of what a mind is, panwhat-it-is-likeness, global warming, the nature of awareness, and the need for planetary geoengineering.

The 'problem of consciousness' is widely seen as an intractable mystery - the biggest challenge humanity faces as it seeks to gain a 'complete' understanding of both itself and the non-human world. But what exactly is consciousness? The aim of this book is to help to initiate a change of perspective and to thereby dissolve the seeming intractability of the 'problem of consciousness'.

The author has been a pescetarian for 20 years. In this book he reflects on the reasons why he became a pescetarian by considering a range of reasons why one might want to become a vegetarian, a pescetarian or a vegan. The main themes covered are the belief that it is not right to eat animals, the belief that eating meat is bad for one's health, the belief that eating meat results in an increase in violence in human society, and the belief that eating animals is in principle acceptable but that industrialised agriculture is not acceptable.

In 2008 the Spinoza-Gesellschaft ran an international prize-essay competition entitled: How Much of Man is Natural? This book contains the winning essay which, in September 2008, was presented to the international conference of the Society in Marburg, Germany. In the preface and introduction the author reflects on the theme and the content of the winning essay. Three years after winning the competition the author decided to re-write the winning essay and this modified version of the winning essay is also included in the book.

In this groundbreaking book the author considers the place of the human species within an evolving universe. He contends that the human species is special because it is the pinnacle of the evolutionary process and has a purpose of vital importance. From this perspective he reaches the conclusion that human-induced global warming is in the interests of life. This unique perspective on the environmental crisis will be of interest to anyone who cares about the future of life on Earth.

Most people believe that they know what it means to be 'green'. But do they? This book explores what it means to live a 'green' life for an individual human, and what it means for the human species to be a 'green' species. The conclusion is a provocative one - that at the level of an individual human being 'green' is about the possession of a particular attitude to life and the universe, whilst at the level of the human species being 'green' is about the sustainability of the biosphere. This may sound like an obvious conclusion to reach, but it entails that high levels of human resource use and the development of increasingly complex human technologies are 'green' actions which are necessary for sustainability. So, if you believe that being 'green' is about minimising human impacts/minimising human resource use then prepare to have your beliefs challenged.

The German Romantic Friedrich Holderlin developed a unique perspective on the relationship between humankind and the rest of nature. He believed that humanity has a positive role to play in cosmic evolution, and that modernity is the crucial stage in fulfilling this role. In this book the author views Holderlin's ideas from the perspective of the environmental crisis of modernity. From this perspective the environmental crisis has a purpose. This perspective involves an inversion of the traditional notion of causality in the environmental crisis - instead of humans harming nature, it is nature which causes human suffering.