Wooden

This is the kind of book I'll go back to again and again. I got it after finding out about Wooden's "Pyramid of Success" from his website ... I think what I got out of it mostly was the value of being as prepared as possible (for whatever's coming up, short and long-term), and of being industrious... but the latter is a lesson *I* need to learn right now, and others might pick up something else... their particular weakness right now.

So I would recommend it as a valuable "life manual," right alongside books like 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Power of Positive Thinking, and Think and Grow Rich.

In my business reading this year, I find myself "flying through" the standard business fare, finding the important points and moving on. Very many business books are written that way. Although "Wooden" is not a business book, I expect a lot of the business crowd will be attracted to the book - John Wooden is mentioned in so many other books about leadership and teamwork. When I began reading this book - dare I say treasure - I realized that my brain began recalibrating to a much slower reading speed, because the content is so fresh, so pithy, and so engaging. I felt as though I was sitting in a room with this great man, listening to him talk about life and basketball. I sensed his delicate and understated humor, his love of poetry, his clarity of priorities and purpose, and found myself wrapped up in the text. This is a book that you will want to read slowly, and read again from time to time.

I read this book in no time. It constantly brought up different points about Coach Woodens upbringing, work ethic and what he taught the kids at UCLA. The book shows how he was more concerned about bringing the best out of every player instead of the final score. This truly is a great book for any type of person who has in interest in sports. The book is well written and covers all aspects of Coach Woodens life. It talks about how he was just as proud of the teams that won the title in 66'-67' as opposed to the streak of 7 in a row he had because of the circumstances they were dealt with. This is a must read.

Fantastic Book. This book should be required reading in all college coaching classes and youth sports coaches. This book gets to the basis of what "the true purpose" of sports are all about.

Being a UCLA graduate and passionate basketball fan, I was, and continue to be, intrigued by the mystique surrounding John Wooden. This book is more than just basketball, Teacher Wooden talks about his family upbringing and how that shaped his views on life, as well as his philosophy in teaching and guiding his UCLA teams of the 60's and 70's. The book is an easy read in that Mr. Wooden conveys his thoughts in simple language and in short anecdotes and paragraphs. One can read a little passage every now and then and get value and substance from the book. It does not require you to read for an extended period of time at one sitting to get something out of it. I write this review so that perhaps I can influence at least one person to buy this book. It has changed how I look at things and life in a positive manner. I am now fortunate enough to be able to pass by Mr. Wooden during UCLA home games. I will never forget once he smiled at me. A simple smile that has had a lasting impression on me. This book is highly similar--it is simple but will no doubt leave a lasting impression on you and your life.