John Wooden (1910–2010)

This is a book I've never rated because I more or less have this on my nightstand and read bits of it over and over again. There's just so much good stuff here and it's practical. Wooden is one of the greatest coaches of all time, but more importantly he is a leader and teacher to young men on the court and to men and women off the court.

There is a lot to love here, but mostly I love it for how practical it is. One of my favorite stories or parts of the book is about how Coach Wooden didn't show more allow cursing on the court at any time. His theory, and I buy into this (even if I, err, falter), is that if you can't control your mouth during practice, you definitely won't be able to control it in a high-pressure game. And if you can't control your mouth, you will be prone to acting out in ways that are inappropriate on the court.

Great life lessons and a book I will probably read off and on for the rest of my life. A combination of my favorite college sport and leadership skills, this is one the great books that rates up there with How to Win Friends and Influence People. show less

In a time when winning teams tend to be a collection of criminals and prima donna's, it's refreshing to read a book about a champion both "on and off the court." In this novel Wooden shares memories from his days at UCLA as well as general thoughts on life outside of basketball. This one will stay in my library forever and be read repeatedly. Thank you John Wooden.

There are not enough stars for this book. Yes a lot of it is common sense, yes a lot of it is not new but what makes it great is the consistency of philosophy and personality through this book. You know John Wooden lived all these principles daily and the book is as if he were standing next to you. I always struggle taking advice from sports book in to the real world as the principles are frequently not transferable or as effective outside the sports arena- but there is plenty of good advice show more if you want to listen. show less

There's some great advice in this book. The problem is there's some other persons work in this book that throws this book off. Coach Woodens part is why I read this book. If I could rip out the other persons parts in this book it would be a five star book to me.