"If the game of life ended tonight, would you be a winner?" That's the question Jim Tressel asks at the beginning of The Winners Manual, and it's definitely a great question to think about and ponder. Tressel goes on to explain just how exactly you can be able to answer "yes" to that question through the "Big Ten Fundamentals." He also explains how this question has defined him into being the person he is and how it has shaped his life. In The Winners Manual, Tressel is just like how he is with the media: confident, organized, and a little dry. The book is more about motivation than excitement, so it can be a bit tough to read at times with Tressel droning on about a "fundamental," like excellence. However, it is filled with great quotes and gives great insight into being a better person as a whole. Tressel's book is definitely a book that will make you happy you read it. ( )

This book resembles Jim Tressel's media persona: confident, competent, inspiring, yet a little bland. Like many self-help tomes, it is repetitive, though drilling core concepts repeatedly is fitting for a football coach. While the text may not crackle with excitement, it nevertheless offers plenty to ponder. The most compelling sections are the personal anecdotes that illustrate what Tressel and co-author Chris Fabry call the Big Ten Fundamentals. Also interesting is a small series of biographies of people whom Tressel believes embody those fundamentals. Of interest to Christians and other spiritual seekers is an epilogue in which Tressel discusses his faith journey and how it has impacted his life. This is as close as most of us are likely to get to sitting down for a cup of coffee with the celebrated coach for a heart-to-heart conversation about the big picture, and as such it's a worthwhile read. ( )