Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court

by John Wooden

Great item. Minimal wear; note is written on one of the blank pages of the book, otherwise; book is in great condition.

Genres: Sports, Leadership, Nonfiction, Biography, Self Help, Basketball, Business

201 pages, Hardcover

First published February 28, 1997

About the author

John Robert Wooden is a retired American basketball coach. He is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (class of 1961) and as a coach (class of 1973). He was the first person ever enshrined in both categories; only Lenny Wilkens and Bill Sharman have since been so honored. His 10 NCAA National Championships in a 12 year period while at UCLA are unmatched by any other college basketball coach.

Reviews

[Jeff]

This is a fantastic collections of insights from the greatest coach who ever lived about life. One of my favorite insights came from his challenge to make 9 promises to yourself.

1. Promise yourself that you will talk health, happiness and prosperity as often as possible.
2. Promise yourself to make all your friends know there is something in them that is special and that you value.
3. Promise to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best in yourself an others.
4. Promise to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
5. Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
6. Promise to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements in the future.
7. Promise to wear a cheerful appearance at all times and give every person you meet a smile.
8. Promise to give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
9. Promise to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit trouble to press on you.

[Ted Mallory]

Just amazing. It's organized by themes, not chronologically- and it is not a memoir, yet when I got to the part when he told his team he had decided to retire, I cried. I've been using his Pyramid of Success for almost 10 years now as a coach, but I still found new insights and different ways of understanding what he teaches in it. Excellent book, up there with '7 Habits' by Covey, 'Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten' by Fulghum, and POSSIBLY even 'Man's Search for Meaning' by Frankl as one of the most inspiring reads outside of Scripture.

[Otis Chandler]

List of great observations and leadership tidbits. Doesn't give full stories examples behind each, so I found it a little hard to apply or let the lesson synch in. I switched to his auto-biography, They Call Me Coach (see my review) to get those.

[Brian Johnson]

Grounded, super practical old-school wisdom from the greatest coach ever.

“Happiness is in many things. It’s in love. It’s in sharing. But most of all, it’s in being at peace with yourself knowing that you are making the effort, the full effort, to do what is right.”

~ John Wooden from Wooden

John Wooden’s awesome.

According to ESPN, he’s the greatest coach of the 20th century and some would say he’s the greatest coach *ever.* A super humble, inspired man, Wooden led his UCLA basketball team (Go Bruins!! :) to 10 NCAA championships in 12 years, including an 88-game winning streak.

As a coach, he was all about the *process* of becoming a better and better player (and human being) rather than an obsessive focus on the *outcome* of winning. As an author he shares this grounded, super practical old-school wisdom in a wonderful way.

Some of my favorite big ideas from this book include:

1. Become A Little Better - Every day.
2. Giving Thanks - For our blessings.
3. Perfection - Guiding stars and distant shores.
4. The Realistic Optimist - Let’s become one!
5. The Fundamentals - Of success.
6. Wooden on Success - It’s all about full-effort.
7. Improving the Team - By improving ourselves.

I’ve summarized those Big Ideas in a video review that you can watch here.

I’ve also added Wooden by John Wooden to my collection of Philosopher’s Notes--distilling the Big Ideas into 6-page PDF and 20-minute MP3s on 600+ of the BEST self-development books ever. You can get access to all of those plus a TON more over at heroic.us.

[Brian Fagan]

John Wooden (1910 - 2010) was one of the greatest sports coaches ever. He was head coach of the UCLA basketball team for many years. In a 12-year span from 1964 to 1975, his teams won 10 national championships, including a stretch of seven in a row.

He was convinced finally to write a book about his beliefs and methods by this co-writer, Steve Jamison. Jamison found Wooden to be very reluctant, but eventually convinced him to write a book by stressing that this project would be right in line with his passion for teaching people the lessons he had learned in life which he had in turn used to motivate his players

Many very successful people look up to the late John Wooden as a giant among teachers, coaches and human beings. Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court is the distillation of his lifelong pursuit of excellence, and should be of benefit to everyone. These are a few of my favorite passages:

" ... let's say Mr. Grigsby owns a company that manufacture shoes. I believe shoes are simply a by-product for his company. Their real product is the teamwork of people within the company ... Likewise, in my coaching I informed every player who came under my supervision that the outcome of a game was simply a by-product of the effort we made to prepare."

"8 Suggestions for Succeeding:
1. Fear no opponent. Respect every opponent.
2. Remember, it's the perfection of the smallest details that make big things happen.
3. Keep in mind that hustle makes up for many a mistake.
4. Be more interested in character than reputation.
5. Be quick, but don't hurry.
6. Understand that the harder you work, the more luck you will have.
7. Know that valid self-analysis is crucial for improvement.
8. Remember that there is no substitute for hard work and careful planning. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail."

(A quote from former United States President Calvin Coolidge that John Wooden preached):
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

[Douglas Sellers]

Just not a lot of content. A lot of thoughtful points but ultimately held together in a very loose framework.

[Jessin Stalnaker]

A book chock full of insight, lists, reminders, and steps. It is old-school wisdom we all need to hear again and again. John Wooden did not just coach basketball, he prepared his players for life.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

In his own words, the life and philosophical observations of a man known as "Coach." Perhaps the greatest basketball coach of all time, John Wooden tells of his upbringing and his years of success including ten NCAA Division 1 Championships during a 12-year period - seven in a row at one point - leading to his development of his "Pyramid of Success." The lessons learned from this great and humble personage apply not only to basketball and all other sports but to all endeavors in life.

[Jerry]

Hard to argue with Wooden and his 10 NCAA titles. Beyond much of the typical "to thine own self be true" fuzz, the practical philosophy that made this man a winning machine comes out, and it turns out it was because he didn't care about winning. He wanted preparation, preparation, and more preparation in order to give maximum effort, to fulfill every last ounce of potential. Down to the way the boys put their socks on. To maintain this sort of detail consistently and not be tyrant or megalomaniac is astonishing. Clearly he did with love for his players and the game. He says surprisingly little about the actual game of basketball--what he loved about it beyond getting men ready to play it--but that's okay in a book of observations. I'd give this book 3.5 stars if I knew how or this thing would let me.

[Ty Wilson]

This is a wonderful little book filled the the brim with observations and words to live by from one of the all-time great coaches in sports history. Coach Wooden carefully lays out his philosophy of life and how it applies to all things. This is the kind of book I'll hold on to and re-read annually.

[Marvin]

This is basically a collection of quotes and insightful comments by legendary college basketball coach John Wooden. He is one of the, if not THE, most successful coaches of all time. And as evidenced from this collection, a very wise man. It would not be a bad idea to read and heed his words.

[C]

Excellent collection of anecdotes, sayings, and inspirational messages from one of the greatest athletics coaches of all time.

[Joey Kittel]

One of the best books of all time.

[Chris Duncan]

Amazing to read how humble the most successful college basketball coach of all time is. I had heard that he was a Christian so it was cool to read his perspectives on life during his eighties. He has a pyramid of success diagram in his book and the top triangle is split in two with faith and patience being at the top.

Two great lines from the book:

“Best thing a man can do for his children is to love their mother”

“I am happy that my teams at UCLA did well (they won 10 national championships during a 12 year span) but all of that is nothing compared to my family”

[Shalen]

What is success ? Oooo love that question ❤️

[Goran Jankuloski]

Da sam ovo otkrio u osmom razredu, bilo bi mi zapanjujuće koliko i Alhemičar.

Nažalost, ove godine punim 40.

[Samantha]

Borrowed to me from my coworker THE HR DIRECTOR!! so you know I have to analyze the fuck out of this and write a review for the ages. INCOMING… Once I gather my notes. As of right now, I think John Wooden had some solid advice although this book was quite repetitive in the delivery of said advice.

Main theme:
If you worked hard to the best of your ability, you have succeeded! You just have to know that you did your best and gave it your all, regardless of outcome.

[Stephen]

I have no interest in American basketball so this book was unexpectedly useful. You have to listen to someone who has had this much success as a coach - 10 championships in a 12 year period but perhaps the part describing the interruption after 7 in a row is most insightful.

Worth reading even just for the list of quotes at the end.

[Bill Pence]

This book of short excerpts, many of which I recognized from other books by John Wooden, is divided into four main sections:
Part I: Families, Values, Virtues
Part II: Success, Achievement, Competition
Part III: Coaching, Teaching, Leading
Part IV: Putting It All Together: My Pyramid of Success
If you have read any of the author’s other books, such as Wooden on Leadership, you will recognize much of the best of those books here. Because of the format of the book, you can read just a few, or many of the readings in each sitting. Below are a few of the items from the book I highlighted:
• You have to apply yourself each day to become a little better. By applying yourself to the task of becoming a little better each and every day over a period of time, you will become a lot better. Only then will you be able to approach being the best you can be.
• Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Character is what you really are. Reputation is what people say you are.
• The goal in life is just the same as in basketball: make the effort to do the best you are capable of doing. The effort is what counts in everything.
• When you are through learning, you are through.
• People want to believe you are sincerely interested in them as persons, not just for what they can do for you.
• I believe the greatest joy one can have is doing something for someone else without any thought of getting something in return.
• Try your hardest in all ways and you are a success. Period. Do less than that and you have failed to one degree or another. You never fail if you know in your heart that you did the best of which you are capable.
• The goal I believe is important is the goal of making the most of your abilities.
• Remember that there is no substitute for hard work and careful planning.
• Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
• Don’t measure yourself by what you’ve accomplished, but rather by what you should have accomplished with your abilities.
• I believe ability can get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
• Leadership is the ability to get individuals to work together for the common good and the best possible results while at the same time letting them know they did it themselves.
• The most essential thing for a leader to have is the respect of those under his or her supervision. It starts with giving them respect.
• Fairness is giving all people the treatment they earn and deserve. It doesn’t mean treating everyone alike. That’s unfair, because everyone doesn’t earn the same treatment.
• Success is peace of mind that is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.
• We are all the same in having the opportunity to make the most of what we have, whatever our situation.
Regarding his famous “Pyramid of Success”, he writes that each block in the Pyramid was selected with meticulous care and consideration over many years and after a variety of experiences in his life. The position of each block and the specific order of the tiers of blocks in the Pyramid have great importance, starting with the foundation and cornerstones and building up to the apex: your own personal success.
Wooden’s maxims are very quotable. The book ends with some of those maxims. A few that I appreciated were:
• Make sure the team members know they’re working with you, not for you.
• If I were ever prosecuted for my religion, I truly hope there would be enough evidence to convict me.
• Much can be accomplished by teamwork when no one is concerned about who gets credit.
• Be slow to criticize and quick to commend.
• Do not mistake activity for achievement.
• Make each day your masterpiece.

[Ashlee]

The book "Wooden" by Coach John Wooden is an amazing piece of work that would inspire any athlete like me. Coach Wooden uses his helpful techniques in his short stories to tell athletes to persevere in anything they do. Mr. Wooden has written many other books, but I've only read this one. His other works are mainly focused on basketball, thus for professional basketball players. His players at UCLA had to read all of his works, but they helped them excel on the court. This book really stood out to me from the others though, mainly because he writes in short story form and shares his personal experiences as a child and a previous athlete/basketball player. His perseverance and hard work helped him in later life to become a coach and mentor for young athletes. This book helped me understand that you don't have to be tall to play. You just have to play like you're tall. This is what he tells his players everyday.

The theme for this book matched it perfectly: love what you do, and all good will come. Basically the theme is Perseverance. The author's purpose was to show athletes that with passion and hard work, all success will come easily. I think this is a great message to all young athletes struggling to find what they want to do in life. The subject of the book was how to excel everyday, and I feel that this is a great subject. Overall, this book was a success, not only because it earned almost five stars, but because it inspires people daily. These books will always be successful in my opinion, because everyone needs a little inspiration, and sometimes, it'll come from books. John Wooden did a wonderful job writing this book, and I plan on reading more of his works.

[Kev Willoughby]

I highlighted so many things in this book that it glows in the dark.

It's not a basketball book.

It's not a sports book.

It's a book about the secrets of life.

Coach Wooden lived to be 99 years old and he wrote this book when he was 87. Reading this book felt like sitting in his living room talking with him from cover to cover. Within these pages, he shares the secret he learned about success:

"Don't look for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at a time. That's the only way it happens--and when it happens, it lasts."

He teaches how to find happiness:

"There is a wonderful, almost mystical, law of nature that says three of the things we want most--happiness, freedom, and peace of mind--are always attained when we give them to others."

He shares his thoughts on the value of today:

"You can't do anything about yesterday. The door to the past has been shut and the key thrown away. You can do nothing about tomorrow. It is yet to come. However, tomorrow is in large part determined by what you do today. So make today a masterpiece."

And he even writes poetry about the value of relationships!

At times when I am feeling low
I hear from a friend and then
My worries start to go away
And I am on the mend

In spite of all that doctors know
And their studies never end
The best cure of all when spirits fall
Is a kind note from a friend

If there were more people like John Wooden in this world, especially in places of leadership and influence, we'd all be better people. What a legacy and a blueprint he has left behind in the pages of this book. Don't miss it!

[Dennis Olstedt]

Great book! Great outlook on life. I personally loved this book because of the life lessons and the views of the world by John Wooden that helped me through my difficult time in my life. After reading this book my view of my life became clear and I am a lot less stressed and worried about my daily life. "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail" "Happiness begins when selfishness ends" "Don't whine, don't complain, don't make excuses" "Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming." Great things to teach our youth!

[Jeremey Duvall]

John Wooden is one of the most successful basketball coaches in history winning 10 national championships at UCLA including 8 consecutive. In Wooden, he details principles and lessons he’s learned throughout his 80 years of life.

The book format reminded me of Set Godin - short chapters that piece together to form an overarching narrative. I came away with quite a few highlights. It’s a quick read, but it won’t hit my all-time best list.

[Sean]

Excellent advice from a modern Stoic. For Wooden, success is found in making each day your masterpiece; gaining peace of mind from knowing that you have prepared for life's challenges by doing your best each day.

[Kimberly Patton]

Short and to the point- Coach was focused on developing his players into great young men of character. I took away a few pointers about success and learned why he was such a great coach and loved by many.

[Bobby Wuertz]

No basketball coach has came close to his accomplishments and his persistence on the values of industriousness is the main point i took from this book that got him there. Wraps the book up great with his pyramid of success.

[Jeffrey]

An excellent book that I gave to my brother...(and I still think he has yet to read it). lol. I hope he does.

[Barry]

This book should be required reading in schools. Period.

[Bill Butler]

Great reflections by John Wooden on how to live a successful life, with "successful" being where you give it all in being the best you can be in "whatever endeavor you undertake". Give 100% (not 110% since all you can give is 100%). Mr. Wooden's priorities were always "family, faith, and friends". Too many to mention all, but some of my favorite of his thoughts and characteristics mentioned:
@He was "ferociously dedicated, meticulously detailed, and as principled as a saint."
@"Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating."
@"You must have the courage to be true to yourself."
@"The first and most important step in friendship is being a friend."
@"Never believe you're better than anybody else, but remember that you're just as good as everybody else."
@Though we may disagree, we dont have to be disagreeable
@"Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Character is what you really
are, reputation is merely what you are perceived to be".
@"If I were ever prosecuted for my religion, I truly hope there would be enough evidence to
convict me."
@"The smallest good deed is better than the best intention."

God's Hall of Fame
" This crowd on earth, they soon forget, the hoeroes of the past
They cheer like mad until you fall, and that's how long you last.

But God does not forget, and in his Hall of Fame
By just believing in his Son, inscribed you'll find your name.

I tell you, friends, I would not trade my name however small
Inscribed up there beyond the stars in that celestial hall.

For any famous name on earth or glory that they share
I'd rather be an un known here and have my name up there."

-Unknown
Easy read with tons of thought provoking content!!

[Sam Brief]

Some poignant lessons from John Wooden:

-Yesterday doesn’t matter. Tomorrow has yet to arrive. Today is here. Make it a masterpiece.
-Family is first. Always.
-No one is an overachiever. You can’t rise above your level of competency. “Giving 110 percent” isn’t possible. You have 100 percent available, and your job is to reach as close to that as possible with your effort.
-Winners make the most mistakes because doers make mistakes. If you’re mistake-free, then you’re probably doing close to nothing.
-Your opinion of yourself is more important than the opinion others have of you. Believe in yourself and your character.
-The only pressure worth your time is the pressure you put on yourself. Learn when to apply the pressure and when to ease off.
-The “final score” is how prepared you were to execute and how much effort you put in. You can’t control what others do and, in turn, what the outcome of something is.
-Failure to change = Unwillingness to learn
-“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”
Winning, money, etc. are all byproducts of success, but they are not successes in their own rights.
-The combination of industriousness and enthusiasm turns you into an unstoppable power.
-Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.
-Never stand still. Progress comes slowly and takes patience, but you can go downhill in a hurry.
-You’ve been infected by success when you believe that what happened before will certainly happen again. Don’t let the past infect you.
-Hustling harder can make up for a lot of mistakes.
-Don’t let criticism or praise overly affect you. Stay true to reality.
-Seek small improvements one day at a time.