[.ca] The New Breed: Systems for the Development of Your Own ... (ISBN 1423418123)

I am proud to own this book:
When I am through with this book, my brain will be a little bit larger. Yeah, this book makes you think. It's hard but the challenges make you into a better drummer. I've only worked on the first of 39 sections in this book and everything I do around the drumset just become easier. It's my favorite drum book.

Excellent for drumset players:
This book makes you become a sight reader on the drumset. It's one of the hardest drum books out there. It was voted one of 25 best drum books by Modern Drummer Magazine. The author of this book spent fifty years playing drums for many recording studios before he published it. If you're a drummer at any level, but haven't have the chance to check out this book, try to check it out soon.

Excellent book - but definitely NOT for the beginner!:
This book is loaded with excercises that will dramatically improve limb independence - it's not easy stuff! Also, it's not really a play-along kind of book where you'll immediately apply the patterns to your playing - so if you're just looking to pick up some cool beats and fills, you should look elsewhere. Now, if you're into buckling down and honing your chops, then this is definitely a book you should consider!

An original! That uses an approach found in no other book.:
Regardless of style, this book can help your set playing. New Breed provides a novel approach to developing four way coordination on the drum set, and it includes exercises that will improve your reading, execution and creativity. It is not meant to be breezed through, and unless you're remarkably coordinated, you won't breeze through it. It definitely breaks the direct "here are some beats for you to practice" approach. New Breed is a good tool for developing technique---especially limb independence, but it is also an excellent resource for developing creativity. Even though I am still in the early stages of using this book my bass drum creativity has taken off. I am also convinced this book also will help you to improve your time, if used correctly. Gary also provides great suggestions on how to approach playing, and practicing that I've not found anywhere else. Because I am totally self-taught, this part has been very helpful to me personally. If you are a beginner, it will probably be a bit too much for you, but intermediates and advanced drummers will be pleasantly challenged. If you don't read music, you'll need to learn in order to work this program.

A classic...:
A good book. If I have one critique, it is that the exercises can become boring to stick with. I had some fun with it by using my own stickings, and reading the syncopated parts underneath them with the bass drum.