General Books

FreeDarko presents The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac: Styles, Stats, and Stars in Today's Game

Bethlehem Shoals, Dr. Lawyer IndianChief, Silverbird 5000, Brown Recluse Esq.

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Macro-Phenomenal NBA Almanac is a one-of-a-kind guide to the NBA and its most charismatic players. The almanac breaks down the styles of each player to show what each man reveals about himself through his conduct both on and off the court. A series of brilliantly illustrated chapters categorize NBA's celebrity players as "Master Builders," "Lost Souls," and everything in-between. The illustrations are accompanied by smart, funny sports writing that will delight fans of pro basketball.

In the illustrations below, artists from the Free Darko collective give their unique take on two of basketball's "Master Builders"--Kobe Bryant, the perfectionist, and Tim Duncan, a methodical player of gothic proportions. (Click the images to enlarge)

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Resilience: Faith, Focus, Triumph

Alonzo Mourning, Dan Wetzel

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Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Ethnic & National -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Resilience. It’s not just the title of Alonzo Mourning’s stirring memoir; it’s the stuff he’s made of. Whether petitioning himself into foster care as an eleven-year-old, tirelessly studying his way onto the dean’s list at Georgetown University, making it as an all-star center in the NBA, or returning to peak form after organ-transplant surgery, Mourning has shown enormous inner strength. His faith, his determination, and his courage are what have driven and sustained him throughout his extraordinary life.

In 2000, Mourning was on top of the world: He had a fat new contract, an Olympic gold medal, and a second beautiful child–all that and the fame and wealth he had earned playing the game he loved. But in September of that year, he was diagnosed with a rare and fatal kidney disease. Over the next couple of years, as his health faltered, he retired, unretired, and retired again–and sought to make sense of the rest of his life.

Finally in 2003, after a frantic search for a donor match, Mourning had a new kidney and a new outlook. He vowed to make this second chance count by dedicating his life to others. He resolved that he would consider the disease a blessing, a revelation of God’s plan for him.

Although he battled his way back to the NBA, winning a championship with the Miami Heat in 2006, Mourning believed that the most important and fulfilling part of his life still lay ahead. Basketball, it turned out, was just the vehicle that would allow him to devote his talents and energies to a greater cause.
Alonzo Mourning’s return to basketball glory, already familiar to sports fans and non-sports fans alike, has inspired millions of patients suffering from kidney disease and living with dialysis, as well as organ donors around the world. By sharing his experiences of the physical, emotional, and spiritual roller coaster of illness and recovery, Mourning hopes to deliver a message of faith and fire, hurdles and hope, trust and triumph. Resilience is a story about the meaningful everyday lessons that he longs to share and about the things that truly matter in life.

College Basketball Prospectus 2008-2009: The Essential Guide to the Men's College Basketball Season (College Basketball Prospectus: The Essential Guide to the)

Ken Pomeroy, John Gasaway

Amazon Price: $14.93 List Price: $21.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Plume Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $11.75

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In the winning tradition of the New York Times bestselling Baseball Prospectus, the ultimate guide to college basketball.

From the brand that brought sports fans the New York Times bestselling Baseball Prospectus comes an all-new, one-of-akind, authoritative guide to college basketball. Utilizing the same unique prediction model, College Basketball Prospectus 2008-2009 applies objective knowledge, original hardhitting statistical analysis, and provocative writing to one of America’s most popular sports.

Divided into three sections, the prospectus includes essays on various aspects of the college game and the past season, previews of all thirty-one Division-I conferences, and a statistical abstract with the same cutting-edge mathematical analysis that has yielded a winning record of accurate predictions for the Baseball and Pro Football Prospectus series. For the 60 million Americans who are diehard college basketball fans, College Basketball Prospectus 2008-2009 is a slam dunk.

Coaching Youth Basketball: A Baffled Parent's Guide

David G. Faucher

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Subjects -> Parenting & Families -> Parenting -> General
Subjects -> Parenting & Families -> Parenting -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Good for beginning coaches of young children 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I bought 4 basketball coaching books for my husband when he signed up to coach our son's Kindergarten basketball team. He has never coached basketball before. This is the only book he wanted to keep. He uses it to come up with basic drills and general coaching tips. It's good. If you buy only one, I'd recommend this one.

Good book for the new coach 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I was asked to coach my son's basketball team and I didn't know much about basketball. This book got me quickly started with the key fundamentals.

Very good book for a beginner coach 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

It was my first time coaching basketball. I coached 1st graders. I coached because nobody else volunteered to do it. With that in mind this book was perfect. It has all the basics you need to understand the game and it provides planned practices according to players age.
If you are ever in my situation with little knowledge of the game and forced to coach a kids team, I highly recommend this book.

Editorial Review:

David G. Faucher shares his successful "full-participation model" of coaching youth basketball in this Baffled Parent's Guide. Faucher, the head coach of the men's basketball team at Dartmouth College, covers creating good habits, offensive skills and defensive basics, dealing with parents, first aid and safety, and game rules.

Top of the World: The Inside Story of the Boston Celtics' Amazing One-Year Turnaround to Become NBA Champions

Peter May

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

“I’m on top of the world,” shouted NBA Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett after the Boston Celtics clinched their 17th NBA championship over their arch rival, the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers. Indeed he was on top as were his teammates as the most illustrious franchise in NBA history won their first championship in over twenty years. Peter May, who has covered the Boston Celtics for nearly 25 years for the Boston Globe and the Hartford Courant and the author of the bestselling The Last Banner- an account of the Celtic’s last championship season-chronicles the remarkable 2008 championship run of the team in green. Tracing the biggest single-season turnaround in NBA history of this storied franchise, who went from having the second-worst record in the NBA last year to the best record this year, May charts, both the highs and lows of the season. From losing out on the Number 1 and Number 2 pick in last year's draft lottery to swinging trades for future Hall of Famers, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, from compiling the best record in the NBA and winning Game 4 in the Finals with the greatest come-from-behind victory in NBA Finals history to capping off their remarkable season with the league-leading 17th championship, it’s all here. Drawing on interviews with Defensive Player of the Year, Kevin Garnett, Captain and NBA Finals MVP and captain, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Coach Doc Rivers, among others, May serves up an behind-the-scenes account of the Celtics spectacular return to glory. Finally, May will also profile one opposing player from each playoff series, including LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

Mind Gym : An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

Gary Mack, David Casstevens

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Best one for athletes! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I have read several books on the mental game in sports and this is by far the best. I work with collegiate and professional athletes and recommend this so often that Gary Mack should send me a commission!!!

not what i expected 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

a solid read, but i was expecting a book that got more into the intricacies of sports psychology, but this book seems to focus more on your thinking off the court then on it.

Well-written and entertaining 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

If you want to read an inspiring book on the power of the mind in sports, then this book is for you. It is not too packed with information, but it underlines many of the important points in mental coaching. Great stories and examples make it an uplifting read. The only thing missing was a step-by-step instruction guide to mind management - practice makes perfect.

Editorial Review:

Drawing on his work with some of the top teams in professional sports, noted sport psychology consultant Gary Mack shares with you the same techniques and exercises he uses to help elite athletes build mental "muscle." These 40 accessible lessons and inspirational anecdotes will help you gain the "head edge" over the competition.

Wooden

John Wooden

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Total reviews: 76 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

An Absolutely Amazing Book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I have never heard of John Wooden until last Thursday. This book was recommended to me by two friends, as first I thought how is a retired basket coach going to give me some direction and clarity on life? WOW!!!!! Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! I took to every word and read it in one evening (not a long read, but it makes you ponder over each sentence) and I was really sad that the book was coming to an end. It's an amazing book, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it anyone no matter where you're at in life. This is a book that I will refer back to time and time again throughout my life (I just know it!).

Editorial Review:

Coach Wooden's remarkable 10 national basketball championships in 12 years at UCLA speak for themselves. In Wooden, the coach--quiet, thoughtful, and introspective throughout his distinguished career--finally speaks forhimself, and he's well worth hearing. Wooden is a modern chapbook of inspiration and good sense that reveals the hard-court philosopher behind it as a man of character, conviction, decency, and straightforwardness. There are no complex ideas, just little beams of light filtered through anecdotes that project the kinds of simple, immutable truths that in the end touch nothing but net.

Wooden on Leadership

John Wooden

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Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Management & Leadership -> Leadership
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Management & Leadership -> Management

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Total reviews: 34 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A Wall Street Journal Bestseller

A compelling look inside the mind and powerful leadership methods of America’s coaching legend, John Wooden

"Team spirit, loyalty, enthusiasm, determination. . . . Acquire and keep these traits and success should follow."
--Coach John Wooden

John Wooden’s goal in 41 years of coaching never changed; namely, to get maximum effort and peak performance from each of his players in the manner that best served the team. Wooden on Leadership explains step-by-step how he pursued and accomplished this goal. Focusing on Wooden’s 12 Lessons in Leadership and his acclaimed Pyramid of Success, it outlines the mental, emotional, and physical qualities essential to building a winning organization, and shows you how to develop the skill, confidence, and competitive fire to “be at your best when your best is needed”--and teach your organization to do the same.

Praise for Wooden on Leadership:

“What an all-encompassing Pyramid of Success for leadership! Coach Wooden’s moral authority and brilliant definition of success encompass all of life. How I admire his life’s work and concept of what it really means to win!”
--Stephen R. Covey, author, The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People and The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness

“Wooden On Leadership offers valuable lessons no matter what your endeavor. 'Competitive Greatness' is our goal and that of any successful organization. Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success is where it all starts.”
--Jim Sinegal, president & CEO, Costco

Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Basketball: Only the Essential Drills, Practice Plans, Plays, and Coaching Tips!

Keith Miniscalco, Greg Kot

Amazon Price: $10.85 List Price: $15.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Human Kinetics Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 9 new & used starting at $10.85

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Survival Guide Review 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

As a parent who has a couple of kids playing youth and high school basketball, I have found the Survival Guide for Youth Basketball both a quick and informative read on the fundamentals for coaching kids. It is a great source of information and philosophy that coaches and prospective coaches can/should use to help with the coaching of young players.

One of the best qualities of this book is its ability to explain the rational of the various drills and suggested practice routines. Coaches can use these to help explain to young players (and their parents) the necessity of learning the fundamentals before going on to the more advanced aspects of the game. This is especially useful as most young players want to focus on their scoring and shooting, at the expense of good ball handling and defensive skills.

The book has numerous drills, practice routines, and schedules that can be easily understood and incorporated by both novice and experienced youth basketball coaches. The diagrams also really help illustrate the points that the authors are trying to make.

Some of the other neat aspects about the book include:

* The "Coach's Clipboard", which summarizes and helps to reinforce the key points of each chapter in the book

* The "Drill Finder" matrix, which allows the coach to easily find the specific drill(s) needed to help develop specific basketball skills

* Offensive and defensive plays and sets that can be used and understood by beginning players

The single best attribute of this book is that it provides a proven roadmap to all those parents who are getting ready to jump into a coaching role. It is a quick an informative read, and will be used by coaches as their primary reference guide for instructing young kids.

Editorial Review:

Longtime coaches Miniscalco and Kot share their experiences and provide advice the reader can rely on from first practice to final shot. From evaluating players' skills and establishing realistic goals to using in-game coaching tips, it's all here - the drills, the plays and the fun. Develop a team's dribbling, passing, shooting and rebounding skills with a collection of the best youth drills. For plays and sets that young teams can actually run, readers will turn to the offensive and defensive playbook. To get the most out of every practice, readers will follow the ready-to-use practice plans. This book has everything the reader needs for a rewarding and productive season. So before stepping into the gym, this book is a must read. It'll remove the stress and show just how enjoyable the experience of coaching youth basketball can be.

Rebound Rules: The Art of Success 2.0

Rick Pitino, Pat Forde

Amazon Price: $17.13 List Price: $25.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Collins Amazon Marketplace: 51 new & used starting at $12.95

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Rick Pitino is a basketball icon: the only coach in college history to lead three different schools to the Final Four, the winner of the 1996 NCAA championship, the owner of a sparkling career record, a bestselling author, and a lock for the College Basketball Hall of Fame. Yet Pitino's journey has not been without life-altering adversity: He's experienced profound personal and professional losses. In 2001, after three losing seasons as coach and president of the Boston Celtics, Pitino resigned, walking away from the $23 million left in his contract. And while recovering from the only breakdown in his extraordinary basketball career, Pitino—who had previously suffered the devastating loss of his infant son, Daniel—endured additional tragedies: His brother-in-law and best friend Billy Minardi, a trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, perished in the World Trade Center attacks of 9/11, less than a year after another brother-in-law had been fatally struck by a taxi. Pitino writes, "From that point on, my life changed forever. Nothing will ever be the same."

This realization gave Pitino a new perspective. With it, the innovative leader felt the freedom to act even more dynamically than he ever had in the past. Returning to college basketball, he has rebuilt and revitalized the storied program at Louisville, guiding the Cardinals to a history-making Final Four appearance in 2005 that stamped him the only coach in history to take three schools that far. And in 2008, he rallied an injury-plagued Louisville team from a disappointing start and led it to the Elite Eight, setting the stage for greater success to come.

The failures and tragedies he recounts make this book unique. More than just a recitation of what works and why, it's about how to succeed after you've failed; how to pick yourself up after being knocked down; and how to reframe yourself and see the world in a new light. This is a comeback story, a manual for overcoming life's difficulties. Pitino has experienced success as an author with his tremendously popular books Success Is a Choice and Lead to Succeed, but in Rebound Rules: The Art of Success 2.0, he's crafted a book that's more deeply personal, more inspiring, more practical, and more powerful than any he's written before.