Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and off the Court by John Wooden, Steve Jamison, Steve Jamison (With), Steve Jamison (Preface by)

Synopsis

"I am just a common man who is true to his beliefs."—John Wooden

Evoking days gone by when coaches were respected as much for their off-court performances as for their success on the court, this unique and intimate work presents the timeless wisdom of legendary basketball coach John Wooden.

In honest and telling passages about virtually every aspect of life, Wooden shares his personal philosophy on family, achievement, success, and excellence. Raised on a small farm in south-central Indiana, Wooden learned a great deal from his parents—lessons that stayed with him not only throughout his unparalleled career at UCLA, but also as dedicated husband, father, and teacher.

These lessons, along with personal letters from Bill Walton, Denny Crum, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bob Costas, among others, mark Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and off the Court as an inspirational classic.

Annotation

A half-time's worth of folksy wisdom marks basketball coach John Wooden's anecdotal collection, Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations On and Off the Court. Wooden, the only man ever to be elected to the College Basketball Hall of Fame as both player and coach, offers advice and comments on topics such as "The Worthy Opponent" and how to "Make Each Day Your Masterpiece."

Library Journal

As stated in the introduction, this book is "neither a conventional narrative, a biography, nor a how-to book on basketball." It is instead a compilation of the tenets and teachings of arguably the greatest basketball coach of all time. Wooden's codes are of the traditional kind, centering on family, faith, friends off the court and organization, dedication, and preparation on the hardwood. Still, he is not stuck in the past. His observation that basketball is first and foremost a game of quickness revolutionized the tactical approach to the sport. The former UCLA coach is above all a teacher, and the lessons he imparts here are derived from a lifetime of learning and achievement. Recommended for adult and young adult collections.William H. Hoffman, Ft. Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., Ft. Myers, Fla.

Biography

John Wooden is the former coach of the record-setting UCLA Bruins' basketball team, which won 10 national championships in 12 years.