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Pound The Stone: 7 Lessons To Develop Grit On The Path To Mastery
“There’s a secret to mastery that you may have never heard, a single little thing that only the very best in the world know how to do. In fact, I believe it is the only thing anyone can do to gain true mastery at anything, and it’s an equal opportunity principle. It can be applied to fulfill your potential in business, in sports, in your relationships, as well as your overall life. Do you want to know what it is?” In the crowd, Jason leaned forward, laser focused. Kicked off his basketball team after a season-ending fight, his only chance to play ball again was to sell enough books door-to-door over the summer to get back on the team. He never needed wisdom like he needed it now. But little did he know that the answer he was seeking was about to change his life forever…Pound The Stone is the intense and inspiring story of a young man’s journey through the obstacles, defeats, and eventual victories that come while developing grit on the path to mastery. Told in the same engaging fable style as Chop Wood Carry Water, this is a deeper dive into the timeless principles that guide and inspire anyone who seeks greatness in life, and covers everything from true success, to the perfection trap, the value of failure, why courage is contagious, and why vulnerability can save your life. Pound The Stone will move you, inspire you, and hopefully encourage you to choose love and courage over fear and shame.
256 pages, Paperback
Published May 2, 2017
239 people are currently reading
1663 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
August 3, 2024
Really enjoyed this! Great ideas and a creative way to impart lessons about grit and personal development. The fable-like narrative definitely got a little (or a lot) cheesy along the way, but on the whole I found great value in the principles taught and can find so much application to my own life and leadership. Would recommend for those who lead or desire to lead others!
April 16, 2018
AMAZING. Joshua takes "Chop Wood, Carry Water" to another level.
We follow Jason, who is a naturally talented basketball player from a broken home, on a journey of grit, determination, and persistence. He transforms over his high school summer breaks by learning valuable success principles selling books door to door.
Written in story-form, the lessons are easy to point out and the chapters are short and to the point. Enjoy!
We follow Jason, who is a naturally talented basketball player from a broken home, on a journey of grit, determination, and persistence. He transforms over his high school summer breaks by learning valuable success principles selling books door to door.
Written in story-form, the lessons are easy to point out and the chapters are short and to the point. Enjoy!
May 2, 2024
4.5 fs!!!
There’s some ambiguities that make you pause and go wait what?! (Same with some of the grammar) but then you step back and realize this book wasn’t meant to be a literary masterpiece or a YA contemporary fiction piece. This story is meant to be allegorical with you inserting yourself into the story of a kid climbing from rock bottom to the summit of the mountain. And all the lessons you learn along the way? Man, that’s what matters here.
There’s some ambiguities that make you pause and go wait what?! (Same with some of the grammar) but then you step back and realize this book wasn’t meant to be a literary masterpiece or a YA contemporary fiction piece. This story is meant to be allegorical with you inserting yourself into the story of a kid climbing from rock bottom to the summit of the mountain. And all the lessons you learn along the way? Man, that’s what matters here.
March 14, 2024
Had to read for school 🤓
July 11, 2025
là je dois bosser, bonnes images pour décrire les idées, sympa mais que 3 stars.
merci pour la recommandation... next livre (imissmyali)
merci pour la recommandation... next livre (imissmyali)
January 12, 2025
Great quick audiobook! I love the development throughout
July 16, 2021
Absolutely fabulous!
January 30, 2020
Ok so now that my mind has had time to think on this I can say I really enjoyed it. This was written by the same author who wrote Hustle, which I read last summer and didn’t enjoy completely. The fact is that this book was written in a story format. We actually had a main character and to me it made it that much easier to read. I really like the story behind pound the stone and I think everyone should read this because it proteins to more that just athletes.
***FYI there are some serious topics that our MC must face, like suicide.***
***FYI there are some serious topics that our MC must face, like suicide.***
July 9, 2023
This is one of the best books I have ever read. I feel like this spoke to me in so many ways and on so many levels. Trust in the process, pound the stone each day, don’t get upset, the process is what matters not the outcome. Who are you becoming? Amazing book!
October 31, 2019
Nick White
Ms. Michko
Literature - F
27 October 2019
Pound the Stone Book Review: ★★★★★
Motivational. That is the one word I would use to describe Joshua Medcalf’s novel Pound the Stone. The story is about a young man named Jason, who overcomes many obstacles throughout his teenage life, and eventually becomes successful in completing his goals. The reason I used “motivational” to express my feelings towards this book is because it has driven me to become a better player myself, as well as a better person all around.
Jason’s perseverance and growth as a character is demonstrated following injuries he encounters and how he rejoins the team after being kicked off for fighting. In the beginning of the story, Jason disregards the teachings provided by his mentor and trainer, T.D. As the story progresses though, Jason learns to trust the process and is soon equipped with tactics to adapt to the challenges that may come his way. He is able to rejoin the team by selling thousands of books throughout the surrounding neighborhoods. He also fights through the pain of torn ligaments in his foot and plays in his state championship game, leading his team to victory.
I liked how Medcalf’s writing addressed ambitious ideas that were established through realistic examples. For example, Jason mentions how he cannot get a certain job because of where he lives, and Russ mentions how he “has a rope to cut”. Symbolically, the “rope” represents a restraint on one’s potential. This idea is conveyed through Russ’ example of how at a zoo, they keep elephants in a specific region because when they were babies, they tied their leg to a rope and attached it to a tree. Because they were so young, they could not break the rope nor travel further than it allowed, thus causing them to limit themselves in a similar way as they grew older and stronger. Russ is essentially explaining to Jason that you should not let your surroundings define who you are and that you might have more potential than you think.
Another admirable lesson in this novel is the belief that failure is not an ending, but part of the path to success. After Jason gets denied by many people while trying to sell books in order to rejoin the team, Russ tells him a very valuable story about Babe Ruth. He explains how although Babe Ruth is remembered for all his success in baseball, in the same season he set the record for most home runs, he also set the record for most strikeouts. Russ is highlighting the significance of failure, so that people can learn from it and get better. This eventually helps motivate Jason to sell more books and not give up.
My favorite part of this book follows Jason’s embarrassment after T.D. utterly destroys him in a game of pick-up. Jason, coming off a cocky and flashy win in the previous game, now has to play an equal opponent, and fails to have the same result as the game prior. After the game, T.D. says to Jason, “You want to always stay humble and hungry. There is always more to learn and always room to grow” (Midcalf 163). T.D. is making a reference to a similar quote, and one that I believe connects strongly to this novel. The quote is “the wolf on the hill is never as hungry as the wolf climbing the hill” (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Both quotes depict the idea that it is never good to be complacent because then someone is out working you (a.k.a. the wolf climbing the hill).
The book as a whole indicates a common theme; the importance of trusting the process, and having a positive work ethic. These qualities are two main aspects of what leads to success, especially when the going gets tough. For Jason, when his mentor continuously makes him follow a workout that he deems unfit for his skill level, he originally concaves, and goes back to his old habits. But soon enough, he comes back around, and begins to perform better. All he had to do was buy in to what T.D. was preaching.
In a similar way that Jason learns from his mentor T.D., I have tried to learn from Coach Clay. Coach motivates the team and me to not get complacent, to not regress, and to buy in to the program he is trying to create. I can testify to this process because similar to Jason, I also am putting in the work to better my game as a basketball player by shooting before and after school.
There was not much I didn’t like about this book because not only does it contain such great teachings and practices, but it was a quick and easy read. I, myself, am not an outstanding reader, so this book was a solid choice, and I would recommend it to anyone searching for ways to become more successful. Not necessarily in sports, but in many aspects of everyday life.
Ms. Michko
Literature - F
27 October 2019
Pound the Stone Book Review: ★★★★★
Motivational. That is the one word I would use to describe Joshua Medcalf’s novel Pound the Stone. The story is about a young man named Jason, who overcomes many obstacles throughout his teenage life, and eventually becomes successful in completing his goals. The reason I used “motivational” to express my feelings towards this book is because it has driven me to become a better player myself, as well as a better person all around.
Jason’s perseverance and growth as a character is demonstrated following injuries he encounters and how he rejoins the team after being kicked off for fighting. In the beginning of the story, Jason disregards the teachings provided by his mentor and trainer, T.D. As the story progresses though, Jason learns to trust the process and is soon equipped with tactics to adapt to the challenges that may come his way. He is able to rejoin the team by selling thousands of books throughout the surrounding neighborhoods. He also fights through the pain of torn ligaments in his foot and plays in his state championship game, leading his team to victory.
I liked how Medcalf’s writing addressed ambitious ideas that were established through realistic examples. For example, Jason mentions how he cannot get a certain job because of where he lives, and Russ mentions how he “has a rope to cut”. Symbolically, the “rope” represents a restraint on one’s potential. This idea is conveyed through Russ’ example of how at a zoo, they keep elephants in a specific region because when they were babies, they tied their leg to a rope and attached it to a tree. Because they were so young, they could not break the rope nor travel further than it allowed, thus causing them to limit themselves in a similar way as they grew older and stronger. Russ is essentially explaining to Jason that you should not let your surroundings define who you are and that you might have more potential than you think.
Another admirable lesson in this novel is the belief that failure is not an ending, but part of the path to success. After Jason gets denied by many people while trying to sell books in order to rejoin the team, Russ tells him a very valuable story about Babe Ruth. He explains how although Babe Ruth is remembered for all his success in baseball, in the same season he set the record for most home runs, he also set the record for most strikeouts. Russ is highlighting the significance of failure, so that people can learn from it and get better. This eventually helps motivate Jason to sell more books and not give up.
My favorite part of this book follows Jason’s embarrassment after T.D. utterly destroys him in a game of pick-up. Jason, coming off a cocky and flashy win in the previous game, now has to play an equal opponent, and fails to have the same result as the game prior. After the game, T.D. says to Jason, “You want to always stay humble and hungry. There is always more to learn and always room to grow” (Midcalf 163). T.D. is making a reference to a similar quote, and one that I believe connects strongly to this novel. The quote is “the wolf on the hill is never as hungry as the wolf climbing the hill” (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Both quotes depict the idea that it is never good to be complacent because then someone is out working you (a.k.a. the wolf climbing the hill).
The book as a whole indicates a common theme; the importance of trusting the process, and having a positive work ethic. These qualities are two main aspects of what leads to success, especially when the going gets tough. For Jason, when his mentor continuously makes him follow a workout that he deems unfit for his skill level, he originally concaves, and goes back to his old habits. But soon enough, he comes back around, and begins to perform better. All he had to do was buy in to what T.D. was preaching.
In a similar way that Jason learns from his mentor T.D., I have tried to learn from Coach Clay. Coach motivates the team and me to not get complacent, to not regress, and to buy in to the program he is trying to create. I can testify to this process because similar to Jason, I also am putting in the work to better my game as a basketball player by shooting before and after school.
There was not much I didn’t like about this book because not only does it contain such great teachings and practices, but it was a quick and easy read. I, myself, am not an outstanding reader, so this book was a solid choice, and I would recommend it to anyone searching for ways to become more successful. Not necessarily in sports, but in many aspects of everyday life.
November 1, 2021
Pound the stone is a fictional book written by world-renowned Joshua Medcalf. The book was launched off by Jason, a basketball player who was kicked off of the team for multiple reasons. The final straw was when Jason let his anger overtake himself and was unable to stop the fighting. In saying, this was a callous decision for the coach to kick him off the team because of how naturally talented and influential that Jason was. Luckily for Jason, the trustees and the athletic director persuaded the coach to give him one last shot. Coach accepted the agreement, but it would come at a price that Jason had to pay. Coach gave him a tough summer job that he had to complete before the end of the summer. Jason has to find a place to stay who supports the cause of the job, and he sees the perfect people. Jan and Russ are going to mentor Jason throughout the whole process of his career. As the book continues, Jason has a ton of adversity hit him in all directions, and there were a lot of times he wanted to give up. With Jan and Russ, they would not let him go down without a fight and without him having a chip on his shoulder. In the process, Jason starts to feel more confident and relaxed when selling his books and starts making huge improvements as he focuses on “pounding the stone.” Jason was able to sell thousands of books as he kept his blue-collar attitude and his will to be the best mindset. By the end of the story, even with all the people who said Jason could not do it, he did it. Jason was able to get back on the basketball team and had a life-changing experience while striving to be the best player he could be. Jason played in the state championship game with torn ligaments in his foot yet still led his team to victory. The author uses many analogies throughout the book, such as Russ telling Jason he had to “cut the rope,” which is referenced as the restraint on one’s potential in life. The book's theme is simple: people who have grit and the will to win will always come out on top no matter the circumstances. An interesting fact is that basketball legend, Tim Duncan, Is the one who came up with the “pound the stone” motto. In the end, this book has taught many life lessons and is a huge reason why people have a ton of success in their lives
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2018
This book talked about ways to you can become a better person and achieve success. I read this book as a part of a leadership class I took at Westlake. This book followed the life of a troubled teenager that sells motivational books over the summer while staying at a stranger's house. One of the main lessons Jason learns is to pound the stone. It comes from the stonecutter's credo which basically describes how a stone is broken. A stonecutter will repeatedly pound a stone without much visible success. He may hit the stone one hundred times with no success but then on the hundred and first blow, the stone will split into two. Though it may not seem like it, the first hundred blows to the rock allowed for the stone to be cut; the stone will break eventually, you just have to be patient and keep pounding the stone. He also learned to surrender the outcome and focus on the process instead. Your value comes from who you are, not what you do, so Jason learned to focus on improving himself rather than results. When he first started to sell books his first summer, he kept track of every single book he sold and got down on himself when he doesn't sell a lot. When he learned about this principle, he started focusing on improving his pitch and selling books and not keeping religious track of his selling records. As he surrendered his results because he realized the process was more important, his sold way more books than he did when he was tracking his sales and focusing on his results. This book is chock full of lessons and principles that will improve yourself as a person and in any aspect of your life that you want to improve. I would recommend this book to anybody looking to go to the next level.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2025
〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️
3/1/2025
What’s going on in your heart that you feel the need to post that? ✊💛 - page 131
A king, a queen, or any truly powerful person never needs to tell you they are powerful, they just are.
💛 Will you lean in every time you experience setbacks and failure?
✊ What are the beliefs that may have been true at one point, but are no longer true and are keeping me from fulfilling my greatest potential?
Even if vs. what if
Who says?! - page 28 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
✊✊ Failure is an event, not an identity
🤔 Harvard found that the greatest predictor of future success is the ability to delay gratification.
🙌 Continue to pound the stone without worrying about the scoreboard.
What are you grateful for?
What was the best failure you had today?
What did you do well?
If you could do today over again, what would you do differently?
Don’t ever settle for average.
Don’t ever settle for easy.
Don’t ever forget that you only get one life.
You aren’t entitled to your dreams.
“Vicariously” means experiencing something indirectly through someone else. For example, if you feel excitement while watching a friend travel the world, even though you’re not there, you’re living vicariously through them.
Everyone wants to be great, until it’s time to do what greatness requires.
The fear will always be there. Do it anyway.
Our greatest fear in life should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.
Everyday, people head out the door believing that everything will be different if they can just achieve more, win more, or make more money. But if achievement hasn’t filled that void yet, how is achieving more going to fill it in the future? Like thirsty people guzzling salt water, achievement only creates greater desire for accomplishing more, dehydrating us of true satisfaction and fulfillment.
So can we be committed to the process of what we do but not emotionally the result of what we do?
Would you buy a book from you right now?
Before knocking on each door, find common ground and focus on what you can give, not what you can get.
The only way you can really develop grit is by experiencing failures and setbacks.
Find your uniqueness and exploit it in the service of others.
Greatness is simple.
Be extraordinarily faithful to ordinary things.
Reaching your greatest potential depends on whether you lean into the process of failing, or running from it.
The hard truth is that every person has 2-3 ideas or natural abilities that would make them a millionaire if they would work hard enough to see them all the way through. But the reality is, most people quit when things get uncomfortable.
Don’t chase the outcomes. It’s who you become in the process. Focus on the process, not the outcome.
I have never prayed for outcomes in my life. 💛🙌🙏
Live with authentic vulnerability, the world always connects more with your grit than your shine.
Page 133 💛
A wise man once said, the idea of “go out and get what you want - and you’ll be happy” is a failed experiment. You can never get enough of what you don’t need.
When you catch yourself not loving in the present moment, take three deeps breaths, and then feel your feet on the ground. Everything in our life suffers when we’re not playing present.
The byproduct of greatness isn’t ego, it’s humility.
Be a man are the three most damaging words a boy can hear growing up.
It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.
Being honest and direct about how you feel is a huge part of being a man. Tell her how you feel and ask.
“All of the championships in the world are worthless if you can’t love people and live with ownership, authentic vulnerability, and integrity.
Sleep through the storms - page 212
Remember that mastery is a never ending process, not a destination.
3/1/2025
What’s going on in your heart that you feel the need to post that? ✊💛 - page 131
A king, a queen, or any truly powerful person never needs to tell you they are powerful, they just are.
💛 Will you lean in every time you experience setbacks and failure?
✊ What are the beliefs that may have been true at one point, but are no longer true and are keeping me from fulfilling my greatest potential?
Even if vs. what if
Who says?! - page 28 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
✊✊ Failure is an event, not an identity
🤔 Harvard found that the greatest predictor of future success is the ability to delay gratification.
🙌 Continue to pound the stone without worrying about the scoreboard.
What are you grateful for?
What was the best failure you had today?
What did you do well?
If you could do today over again, what would you do differently?
Don’t ever settle for average.
Don’t ever settle for easy.
Don’t ever forget that you only get one life.
You aren’t entitled to your dreams.
“Vicariously” means experiencing something indirectly through someone else. For example, if you feel excitement while watching a friend travel the world, even though you’re not there, you’re living vicariously through them.
Everyone wants to be great, until it’s time to do what greatness requires.
The fear will always be there. Do it anyway.
Our greatest fear in life should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.
Everyday, people head out the door believing that everything will be different if they can just achieve more, win more, or make more money. But if achievement hasn’t filled that void yet, how is achieving more going to fill it in the future? Like thirsty people guzzling salt water, achievement only creates greater desire for accomplishing more, dehydrating us of true satisfaction and fulfillment.
So can we be committed to the process of what we do but not emotionally the result of what we do?
Would you buy a book from you right now?
Before knocking on each door, find common ground and focus on what you can give, not what you can get.
The only way you can really develop grit is by experiencing failures and setbacks.
Find your uniqueness and exploit it in the service of others.
Greatness is simple.
Be extraordinarily faithful to ordinary things.
Reaching your greatest potential depends on whether you lean into the process of failing, or running from it.
The hard truth is that every person has 2-3 ideas or natural abilities that would make them a millionaire if they would work hard enough to see them all the way through. But the reality is, most people quit when things get uncomfortable.
Don’t chase the outcomes. It’s who you become in the process. Focus on the process, not the outcome.
I have never prayed for outcomes in my life. 💛🙌🙏
Live with authentic vulnerability, the world always connects more with your grit than your shine.
Page 133 💛
A wise man once said, the idea of “go out and get what you want - and you’ll be happy” is a failed experiment. You can never get enough of what you don’t need.
When you catch yourself not loving in the present moment, take three deeps breaths, and then feel your feet on the ground. Everything in our life suffers when we’re not playing present.
The byproduct of greatness isn’t ego, it’s humility.
Be a man are the three most damaging words a boy can hear growing up.
It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.
Being honest and direct about how you feel is a huge part of being a man. Tell her how you feel and ask.
“All of the championships in the world are worthless if you can’t love people and live with ownership, authentic vulnerability, and integrity.
Sleep through the storms - page 212
Remember that mastery is a never ending process, not a destination.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
April 11, 2020One word that comes to mind when thinking of Pound the Stone by Joshua Medcalf is motivational. The story is about a young man named Jason, who overcomes many obstacles throughout his teenage life, and eventually becomes successful in completing his goals, which is to win the basketball championship. Jason goes through some setbacks throughout the book, such as getting kicked off the team for getting into a flight. However, Jason develops into a leader, grinder, and all-around great person by the end.
One great lesson in this novel is the belief that failure is not an option. It is just the path to success. After Jason gets denied by many people while trying to sell books in order to rejoin the team, Russ tells him a very valuable story about Babe Ruth. He explains how although Babe Ruth is remembered for all his success in baseball, in the same season he set the record for most home runs, he also set the record for most strikeouts. Russ is highlighting the significance of failure, so that people can learn from it and get better. This eventually helps motivate Jason to sell more books and not give up.
In the end, this book was an eye opener for me. It taught me not to give up, and to chase my dreams; no matter what is in my way. I recommend this for any high-schooler and would recommend you to make this the summer reading book for incoming sophomores. I say this because sophomore year is a massive jump. Every class gets immensely harder; and I think book would set a good foundation.
One great lesson in this novel is the belief that failure is not an option. It is just the path to success. After Jason gets denied by many people while trying to sell books in order to rejoin the team, Russ tells him a very valuable story about Babe Ruth. He explains how although Babe Ruth is remembered for all his success in baseball, in the same season he set the record for most home runs, he also set the record for most strikeouts. Russ is highlighting the significance of failure, so that people can learn from it and get better. This eventually helps motivate Jason to sell more books and not give up.
In the end, this book was an eye opener for me. It taught me not to give up, and to chase my dreams; no matter what is in my way. I recommend this for any high-schooler and would recommend you to make this the summer reading book for incoming sophomores. I say this because sophomore year is a massive jump. Every class gets immensely harder; and I think book would set a good foundation.
April 27, 2020
Thinking of what to say about this book puts a quiet smile on my face. The experience of reading it, of finishing it to the last page, is wholesome and fulfilling, like enjoying a good meal you helped cook with all your favorite people.
A couple of things:
In my coaching, grit has always been, “the thing,” the wow factor, the trait that stands out more than resources or charm or athleticism. It is not something a single person is born with either, no matter how fortunate they were in the accident of their birth. Grit is grown, cultivated with care, and this story shines light on all the ways you can develop grit in yourself or anyone you care about.
This story, for me, showcased the importance of having a mentor in your life, someone who will guide you with a firm and loving hand, who will always see the best in you, even when you don’t see it or are not displaying it in yourself. I’ve been considering for some time that I want a mentor, that I need one. I don’t know how you go about finding someone like that in your 30s, but it seems worth it.
In closing:
Who needs to read this book? You!
Your teammates; your coach; your coworkers; your boss; your athletes; your students...
EVERYONE.
There’s not a single person who will fail to find wisdom in this book.
Listen to the audiobook while you’re doing something you don’t enjoy that is necessary to help you level up in life. Hearing this story while you’re developing grit will make it even easier to Pound the Stone once you know what that’s all about.
A couple of things:
In my coaching, grit has always been, “the thing,” the wow factor, the trait that stands out more than resources or charm or athleticism. It is not something a single person is born with either, no matter how fortunate they were in the accident of their birth. Grit is grown, cultivated with care, and this story shines light on all the ways you can develop grit in yourself or anyone you care about.
This story, for me, showcased the importance of having a mentor in your life, someone who will guide you with a firm and loving hand, who will always see the best in you, even when you don’t see it or are not displaying it in yourself. I’ve been considering for some time that I want a mentor, that I need one. I don’t know how you go about finding someone like that in your 30s, but it seems worth it.
In closing:
Who needs to read this book? You!
Your teammates; your coach; your coworkers; your boss; your athletes; your students...
EVERYONE.
There’s not a single person who will fail to find wisdom in this book.
Listen to the audiobook while you’re doing something you don’t enjoy that is necessary to help you level up in life. Hearing this story while you’re developing grit will make it even easier to Pound the Stone once you know what that’s all about.
August 12, 2017
A really great read even if you are not a coach or an athlete. A lot of the lessons found in this book could apply to a job, relationships, and life in general.
Told through a fictional story of a hot-headed sophomore basketball player, we follow the story of Jason, about to be kicked off his high school basketball team for getting in a fight with another opposing teammate, and then breaking his hand as he punches the wall in his coach's office. Things are not looking good for Jason.
But each chapter (about 1-2 pages in length), gives a short lesson about the different struggles Jason has to go through to grow as a young adult and learn how to cope with concepts like: what is success, what is grit, humility, leading by example, living in the present, not taking shortcuts, all things that teach him to "pound the stone."
There are no extraordinary people, just ordinary people willing to experience shame, persecution, and even death to pursue what sets their souls on fire.
. . . at the hundred and first blow it will split in two and I know that it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before.
Told through a fictional story of a hot-headed sophomore basketball player, we follow the story of Jason, about to be kicked off his high school basketball team for getting in a fight with another opposing teammate, and then breaking his hand as he punches the wall in his coach's office. Things are not looking good for Jason.
But each chapter (about 1-2 pages in length), gives a short lesson about the different struggles Jason has to go through to grow as a young adult and learn how to cope with concepts like: what is success, what is grit, humility, leading by example, living in the present, not taking shortcuts, all things that teach him to "pound the stone."
There are no extraordinary people, just ordinary people willing to experience shame, persecution, and even death to pursue what sets their souls on fire.
. . . at the hundred and first blow it will split in two and I know that it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before.
May 5, 2020
When life gets hard and your not sure how to carry on, what do you do? You pound the stone. Pound the stone 100 times and the 101th time the stone splits, you must develop grit, to do that you must pound the stone.
Pound The Stone is the intense and inspiring story of a young man's journey through the obstacles, defeats, and eventual victories that come while developing grit on the path to mastery. Told in the same engaging fable style as Chop Wood Carry Water, this is a deeper dive into the timeless principles that guide and inspire anyone who seeks greatness in life, and covers everything from true success, to the perfection trap, the value of failure, why courage is contagious, and why vulnerability can save your life. Pound The Stone will move you, inspire you, and hopefully encourage you to choose love and courage over fear and shame
As with Chop Wood carry water, this is a motivational story but this one resonates even more if thats possible. I think this should be required reading in school.
Pound The Stone is the intense and inspiring story of a young man's journey through the obstacles, defeats, and eventual victories that come while developing grit on the path to mastery. Told in the same engaging fable style as Chop Wood Carry Water, this is a deeper dive into the timeless principles that guide and inspire anyone who seeks greatness in life, and covers everything from true success, to the perfection trap, the value of failure, why courage is contagious, and why vulnerability can save your life. Pound The Stone will move you, inspire you, and hopefully encourage you to choose love and courage over fear and shame
As with Chop Wood carry water, this is a motivational story but this one resonates even more if thats possible. I think this should be required reading in school.
November 20, 2023
Despite containing a lot of good information, I thought the premise of the book was convoluted and distracting. The main character, Jason, is a high school basketball player who spends several summers selling books and learning about leadership, character, and grit. He is selling six specific titles whose inclusion in the text felt strangely like product placement, and I spent the rest of the book expecting a callback to this list of suggested readings that never came. Jason's girlfriend, Kaiya, functioned as a foil to Jason but she seemed to appear out of nowhere and lacked context. The mentions of religion were a turnoff to me as an agnostic, and I feel that those points could have been made more inclusively. But the biggest rub for me is that the book had a whiff of victim blaming about it, as motivational books often do. The idea that circumstances have no bearing on people's lives and that a failure to thrive is due always, only, to a lack of drive, motivation, and/or strength may sell books, but this belief is ableist, deeply offensive, and objectively wrong. Mediocrity is not a character flaw, and no one way of approaching the world is right for everyone.
March 3, 2020
Pound the Stone
Wow! Why on earth didn’t I find this book 20 years ago, it’s all good! I found it now. Well done Josh, I just found you not too long ago....Chop Wood was recommended to me by an MMA athlete I was inspired by not too long ago-James Krause- he kept mentioning Chop Wood Carry Water, and I had to investigate what he contributed to as his success! The process, the process, the process....go figure! Doing the unexceptional things exceptionally well puts you leaps and bounds ahead of others not willing to do the unsexy easy things that are easier not to do. Huh, look at that, I learned that in your books! I’m 35! Still learning, love it brother! Thank you.
Very Respectful
Tim E.
Wow! Why on earth didn’t I find this book 20 years ago, it’s all good! I found it now. Well done Josh, I just found you not too long ago....Chop Wood was recommended to me by an MMA athlete I was inspired by not too long ago-James Krause- he kept mentioning Chop Wood Carry Water, and I had to investigate what he contributed to as his success! The process, the process, the process....go figure! Doing the unexceptional things exceptionally well puts you leaps and bounds ahead of others not willing to do the unsexy easy things that are easier not to do. Huh, look at that, I learned that in your books! I’m 35! Still learning, love it brother! Thank you.
Very Respectful
Tim E.
August 13, 2020
Terribly jotted down collection of good lessons you can find in much better books. The book is built around a decent analogy that gets wrapped is a very flimsy story and makes you wish the author would unload his advice directly instead of in this ”stories are better and make people listen !” format he likely picked up from an online seminar. He spoke this book out and paid someone on fiver to turn it into a transcript and it sounds like it. If he'd ”pounded the stone” in trying to write decently this would be worth reading. As it is, you can ignore it and search the web for the analogy and get some real insight.
Author might also consider reading some of the new research on ”mirror neurons” and edit them out of the book.
Author might also consider reading some of the new research on ”mirror neurons” and edit them out of the book.
December 16, 2022
I read this book because a group of students I will be teaching next semester are going to be required to read it for their program, and I was looking to see if there are ways I can incorporate some of the principles or concepts into my class.
This is a story/parable about a high school basketball player who learns a bunch of valuable life lessons, largely facilitated by a couple of mentors from a summer program.
This is not meant to be great writing (and it's not); the story is basically a vehicle for a lot of motivational speak about success and character. On the one hand, these life lessons really are valuable and they made me think. On the other hand, motivational messages can easily come across as cliché and cringey.
This is a story/parable about a high school basketball player who learns a bunch of valuable life lessons, largely facilitated by a couple of mentors from a summer program.
This is not meant to be great writing (and it's not); the story is basically a vehicle for a lot of motivational speak about success and character. On the one hand, these life lessons really are valuable and they made me think. On the other hand, motivational messages can easily come across as cliché and cringey.
October 11, 2017
I enjoyed the book. He writes a fable/story to get across the lessons, which make it easy to follow, enjoy and see the applications.
I liked the focus on doing the simple things with precision and repetition and it will make all the difference. Also, that the journey is not about outcomes, it is about who we are becoming. Sometimes we get so focused on the goal that we forget to live and enjoy the journey of life. I also liked
The sports focus was great too.
1. Focus on playing for your teammates rather than your shots, feelings or pains
2. Fight for all the little inches
3. Finish empty
If you do these 3 things you'll Play with freedom and have fun
I liked the focus on doing the simple things with precision and repetition and it will make all the difference. Also, that the journey is not about outcomes, it is about who we are becoming. Sometimes we get so focused on the goal that we forget to live and enjoy the journey of life. I also liked
The sports focus was great too.
1. Focus on playing for your teammates rather than your shots, feelings or pains
2. Fight for all the little inches
3. Finish empty
If you do these 3 things you'll Play with freedom and have fun
March 17, 2019
At more than halfway through I was ready to write this off as an average self-help/leadership book full of cliches. However, I thought the last third of the book was great! I ended up really enjoying Jason’s transformation. It all came together in the end. And I like a good parable - which I think is much better than reading a book full of just leadership principles.
I have read Chop Wood, Carry Water and Transformational Leadership. Medcalf pulls from the same ideas in those books - so it is definitely repetitive. But I do think the full effect makes this book worth reading, even if you have read his other books.
I have read Chop Wood, Carry Water and Transformational Leadership. Medcalf pulls from the same ideas in those books - so it is definitely repetitive. But I do think the full effect makes this book worth reading, even if you have read his other books.
January 31, 2024
A wonderful, wholesome read that is chalked full of wisdom, the philosophy of "Pound The Stone" teaches that for all adversity, there is an answer: it's not what happens to you but how you handle it. Medcalf does a great job of building a simple and relatable narrative that's easy to read yet filled with page after page of wise lessons that the protagonist, a young basketball player named Jason, receives from various mentors during his journey of door-to-door book sales. The ultimate takeaway is this: the best gift you will ever receive is the character you become through life's challenges, and that character is also the best gift you can ever give to the world.
May 31, 2025
I liked this book! Short and sweet, and genius for the author to turn it into a relatable story about Jason, a high schooler who has to learn the lessons of self mastery through sales and basketball. There is one character named Russ who is a little over the top (I mean I don’t think there is anybody in the world who would actually start spitting out motivational quotes and stories left and right in an average conversation), but a book would, and this did a great job making these lessons an easy read! I would definitely recommend it to a friend 👌
February 16, 2021
Life altering
I enjoyed this book so much. All the principles in the books I’ve read over the years were all wrapped up in this single book. I look forward to sharing this book with my kids and as many people as I can. Thank you so much for making this book such a fast and easy read. So simple and powerful. Fables, storytelling, parables... the most memorable impact. Thank you!!!
I enjoyed this book so much. All the principles in the books I’ve read over the years were all wrapped up in this single book. I look forward to sharing this book with my kids and as many people as I can. Thank you so much for making this book such a fast and easy read. So simple and powerful. Fables, storytelling, parables... the most memorable impact. Thank you!!!
April 13, 2024
My favorite thing about this book is that my 14yo son loved it and has read it about 6 times, learning valuable lessons; I've seen great improvement in his mindsets and motivations. I listened to it so I don't have notes or highlights but loved it as well - wonderful lessons for grit and so much more! The storyline helps it not feel like a self-help textbook, which I think is why my son loved it so much.
May 11, 2025
This is an amazing book, but if you are listening to it with a young person I recommend doing it in short bursts. There is a mountain of great advice but if it is not processed in small doses it will be overwhelming. The story is good, although I have never heard of the program. Selling books is excellent, but I wonder if there could be a better option, something that resonates more with youth?
May 30, 2025
4-4.5 definitely
Following Jason, as a basketball star that has made some bad decisions and broke his arm, and has to sell books door to door to get back onto the team is engaging and eye-opening! Throughout the book, we learn about his struggles at home and the hard life he’s had. Joshua does a great job of dropping life anecdotes that connect to both Jason as well as everyone that is reading as well. Great story that teaches a great mindset while keeping it entertaining.
Following Jason, as a basketball star that has made some bad decisions and broke his arm, and has to sell books door to door to get back onto the team is engaging and eye-opening! Throughout the book, we learn about his struggles at home and the hard life he’s had. Joshua does a great job of dropping life anecdotes that connect to both Jason as well as everyone that is reading as well. Great story that teaches a great mindset while keeping it entertaining.
March 22, 2018
I LOVED Chop Wood Carry Water by Joshua Medcalf, so this one is a bit "dull" in comparison from a literary-brained reader. The messages are simple, the characters feel like paper dolls. The story felt "Hallmark-movie-ish" (and I enjoy a feel-good-happy-ending tale every now and then), yet for the right audience, there are definite relatable experiences and lessons. It's a quick read.
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