Book Report on Jamaican Gold: Jamaican Sprinters

‘Jamaican Gold: Jamaican Sprinters’ gives us a look into what it takes to be a successful sprinter in Jamaica. The book presents detailed research into the science of sprinting, the cultural traits that makes a Jamaican the ideal sprinter and shows us a peek into the lives of some famous Jamaican sprinters backed by a chapter dedicated to track and field history in photos. Also, the book discusses the issues faced in the sport of track and field and approaches to teaching physical education and its benefit. Printed in an easy-to-read style with lots of photos, this book is a refreshing way to learn about the track and field culture in Jamaica.
Published in 2010 by Rachel Irving and Vilma Charlton, the book boasts of five sections contain sixteen chapters. The art of sprinting and the continuing success of Jamaicans are cleverly assessed in these five sections. The first section tells of the science behind the sprinting. It describes how the genetic makeup and history, the environment in which they thrive and the diet of a sprinter can affect the success of a sprinter. The second section outlines the lives of some famous sprinters from Jamaica, both young and old. The third section is a scrapbook of pictures from moments in Jamaican sprinting history. The fourth section tells of the cultural traits that make Jamaicans prominent in track and field and how the educational system nurtures this culture to ensure success. The fifth section tells of problems faced by the sporting world, specifically track and field today. These five topics help bring together the book cleverly.
Whilst reading this book many ideas were presented however two of these ideas commanded my attention; Black men are more proficient in athletics than white men and the importance of physical education. I firmly agree with these ideas. They were both rigorously examined and justly supported.
Firstly, black men are more proficient in track and field then white men. As reported in the book, the researchers and scientists used many analytical tools to prove the sprinting prowess of not only Jamaicans, but the black man. Tools ranging from genetic make up to his environment, both physical and psychological, to his diet were exhausted. According to the book ‘Genetics and Sports’, a person’s genes determine his endurance, muscle performance, attitude to training, and the ability to withstand or recover from an injury. Men of color are built to run and jump and their spectacular success lies in superior biology and genetic diversity. The physical makeup of the black man gives him an advantage over the white man. This is all because of their ancestry. They descend from hunters and gatherers whose day to day activities relied on the use of speed and strength. Black men come from a people who possess traits such as longer arms and legs and narrower hips which influence their power-to-weight ratio and stride length. Another point to note is that most great black athletes come from rural areas in which the only method of transportation was the feet and the fastest way to get around was running. In Jamaica most of the athletes can trace their origins to the north-west region, the parish of Trelawney.
Physical Education is a vital part of development of a child. According to the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, physical education is instruction in various kinds of physical activity to promote the physical development and well-being of the individual. Physical Education helps to promote physical fitness, academic achievement and healthy social interaction.
Physical Education promotes physical fitness in a child. With the rise in diabetes, obesity, cancer and other lifestyle diseases in children, a healthy way of living is the only way to combat this. Physical Education can also help you achieve academic success. Numerous links between mind and body have been documented, and there are reasons to believe physical activity could aid learning (Jensen, n.pag). It has been proven that physical activity promotes brain activity. Physical Activity might alter arousal through neurohormonal mechanisms, which could improve the child 's attention in the classroom (Shephard, 121). Lastly, Physical education aids in the promotion of healthy social interaction such as good sportsmanship, loyalty, commitment, appreciation for exercise and sports and it is a beneficial past time.
The writer’s aim for this book may be misunderstood. This book isn’t intended to brag about the prominence of Jamaican sprinters but to make the readers aware of what makes them the best. This is carefully done through rigorous research which is presented and sources cited in the book. The contributors to the content of this book are educated in their fields making them great choices. For example, the Vilma Charlton contributed the chapter ‘The Challenge of Teaching Physical Education Jamaica’. She is a lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Mona and a physical education specialist. Also, she is an Olympian and serves as president and vice president many sports related associations such as the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association. Additionally, the book aims to portray to readers the rich track and field history of Jamaica. The book contains an entire chapter on photographic memories of athletic games such as the Olympics. This chapter of the book was well organized and kept you interested. Many of these pictures are sourced from the national library in Jamaica or from independent newspaper. The sections were well organized and the content in each section supported by accurate essays and contributions to support it. Each section proved spot on to satisfy the aims of the book.
I found this book educational, enlightening, exciting and entertaining. These are the four E’s I look for when I read a book. This book is worth its price probably more. The glossy pages gives it’s a magazine finish instead that of a mundane textbook. The content of this book proved educational. For years I have said that Caribbean people have the natural ability to excel in sports but we need to start educating and training from a very young age. However, because of my lack of evidence I was quickly shot down. This book has not only provided information on this subject but also reputable sources from which I can gather more information. It has also opened my eyes to the various aspects of track and field. However, I fail to see how this book relates to ideas taught in this Caribbean Civilization course.
In conclusion, I believe that this book has taught me a lot. Even though at first I was unwilling to pay for this book, I realize now that it was money well spent. I would reread this book numerous times and learn something new every time. In the foreword, the possibility of a volume two publication was mentioned. I eagerly wait, hoping that this may come to pass.

Works Cited
Lippi, Giuseppe, Umile Giuseppe Longo and Nicola Maffulli. Genetics & Sports. Oxford
University Press. 2009. Print.

Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia. Celeste Ulrich. Physical Education

Jensen, E. Teaching with the brain in mind. VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development. 1998.Print.

Shephard, R.j. Cirrcular physical activity and academic performance. Pediatric Exercise
Science.

Charlton, Vilma and Rachel Irving. Jamaican Gold. Jamaica: University of the West Indies
Press, 2010, Print. (94-143)

--------------------------------------------
[ 1 ]. Lippi, Giuseppe, Umile Giuseppe Longo and Nicola Maffulli. Genetics & Sports. Oxford University Press. 2009.
Print
[ 2 ]. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia. Celeste Ulrich. Physical Education
[ 3 ]. Jensen, E. Teaching with the brain in mind. VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 1998.
Print
[ 4 ]. Shephard, R.j. Cirrcular physical activity and academic performance. Pediatric Exercise Science.
[ 5 ]. Charlton, Vilma and Rachel Irving. Jamaican Gold. Jamaica: University of the West Indies Press, 2010, Print.
(94-104)
[ 6 ]. Charlton, Vilma and Rachel Irving. Jamaican Gold. Jamaica: University of the West Indies Press, 2010, Print. (143)

Cited: Development. 1998.Print. Charlton, Vilma and Rachel Irving. Jamaican Gold. Jamaica: University of the West Indies Press, 2010, Print [ 3 ]. Jensen, E. Teaching with the brain in mind. VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 1998. [ 5 ]. Charlton, Vilma and Rachel Irving. Jamaican Gold. Jamaica: University of the West Indies Press, 2010, Print. (94-104) [ 6 ]. Charlton, Vilma and Rachel Irving. Jamaican Gold. Jamaica: University of the West Indies Press, 2010, Print.