The Tao of Yao: Wisdom from Basketball's Brightest Big Man by Oliver Chin

From the Publisher

In this clever twist on the traditional sports biography, Chin focuses on the 7'5'' Yao Ming, the Chinese-born basketball star whose skills during his first year playing with the NBA's Houston Rockets were nothing short of remarkable. Chin (author of the graphic novel Nine of One) deftly weaves Yao's biography and the events of his first season as Houston's number-one draft pick with an explanation of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching-along with numerous quotes from this venerable Chinese philosophical classic-as a way of explaining the phenomenon of a player who is "redefining how Asians could view themselves, as well as the image of the athlete in modern society." Chin is a skilled writer with an obvious love of basketball who provides compelling insights into Yao's skills, such as how his role as the linchpin for both the Rockets' offense and defense makes him, in a Taoist sense, the "anti-center": "Embodying the qualities of water, he is fluid as much as fixed." But Chin sometimes overreaches, such as in his view that "[b]y understanding the basic Taoist relationship between difficult and easy, Yao was able to draw upon Lao's timeless wisdom for comfort in the here and now." A player like Yao who signs a $200,000 endorsement deal with Nike can be seen as far more Western than Eastern, a point which Chin himself makes in other good observations about Houston's expanding Asian-American community and the remarkable media savvy that Yao has shown when dealing with NBA superstars like Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley.

Publishers Weekly

In this clever twist on the traditional sports biography, Chin focuses on the 7'5'' Yao Ming, the Chinese-born basketball star whose skills during his first year playing with the NBA's Houston Rockets were nothing short of remarkable. Chin (author of the graphic novel Nine of One) deftly weaves Yao's biography and the events of his first season as Houston's number-one draft pick with an explanation of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching-along with numerous quotes from this venerable Chinese philosophical classic-as a way of explaining the phenomenon of a player who is "redefining how Asians could view themselves, as well as the image of the athlete in modern society." Chin is a skilled writer with an obvious love of basketball who provides compelling insights into Yao's skills, such as how his role as the linchpin for both the Rockets' offense and defense makes him, in a Taoist sense, the "anti-center"-"Embodying the qualities of water, he is fluid as much as fixed." But Chin sometimes overreaches, such as in his view that "[b]y understanding the basic Taoist relationship between difficult and easy, Yao was able to draw upon Lao's timeless wisdom for comfort in the here and now." A player like Yao who signs a $200,000 endorsement deal with Nike can be seen as far more Western than Eastern, a point which Chin himself makes in other good observations about Houston's expanding Asian-American community and the remarkable media savvy that Yao has shown when dealing with NBA superstars like Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley. (Jan.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

What People Are Saying

Iris Chang
Oliver Chin uses the modern phenomenon of Yao Ming to illustrate the ancient wisdom of Taoism and Sun Tzu's The Art of War. By deftly bridging the cultures of East and West, by drawing inspiration from sports heroes, warriors and philosophers over thousands of years of history, The Tao of Yao transcends both time and space, highlighting universal principles of leadership essential to victory. (Iris Chang, the New York Times bestselling author of The Rape of Nanking and The Chinese in America: A Narrative History)

Bruce Jenkins
Basketball has known great, versatile centers but Yao, selfless and fundamentally sound, has the potential to write a whole new chapter. Chin's enlightening spin on the man who's at the forefront of the cultural changes happening in the NBA and the world is a slam dunk. (Bruce Jenkins, sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle)

Dave Newhouse
Yao Ming has the attitude—and altitude—to become an NBA great. Chin captures the personality of this special giant. 'The Tao of Yao'...wow! (Dave Newhouse, sports columnist for the Oakland Tribune)

Neil Hayes
Chin lends a unique perspective to the story of the NBA's most intriguing player. Yao Ming has turned the world of sports on its head in more ways than one. The Tao of Yao will inspire athletes, parents, and teachers of all ages. (Neil Hayes, sports columnist for the Contra Costa Times)

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents