If you know anything about college basketball, you know who Bobby Knight is. But few people can pinpoint the reason why Knight is the way he is and why he is known as one of the best coaches in college basketball history. “A Season on the Brink” chronicles the 1985-1986 basketball season, a year after the infamous chair-throwing incident. In this book, author John Feinstein was somehow allowed to shadow Knight and the team throughout the year, witnessing both the good and bad with the Indiana Hoosiers.
The pinnacle of the book is obviously Knight, trying to help the reader understand this seemingly complicated personality. Really, Knight is a coach who has his own methods for getting what he wants from his players, and will say/do almost anything to get a desired effect. But at the heart of the book is a generous coach who will say/do almost anything to help out the “kids” on his team.
I found this book pretty interesting, mostly because I went to Indiana University. There were some parts that I found pretty dry, and I’ll admit to skimming some of the details of the various games. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an informational look into college basketball, or even fans of OSU’s Woody Hayes. ( )

A fascinating look at one of the sports world's most controversial figures. Bobby Knight is often vilified as pure evil, but this book shows that he is just a complex character like everyone...only to extreme levels.

I understand it's a book about basketball, but the descriptions of games are thankfully brief so there is more time to look at Knight's interaction with players and coaches.

I especially enjoy the human interest moments; like Knight bringing a wheelchair bound Woody Hayes into the locker room to meet his players.

I definitely have greater respect and understanding for Knight, even though he isn't very nice most of the time, after reading this great book. ( )

This is incredibly intense. Feinstein spent an entire season shadowing Bobby Knight with his approval. It's an intimate look at Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers the year before Indiana won an improbable championship in the mid 1980's. We see a complex, driven, fierce energy; Knight pushes and pushes, he's at war. I couldn't put it down and read it in a day (and night). ( )