Rating: 
Summary: Good Stuff with a great perspective !
Review: This book is great reading for those who lose faith in modern day sports and society in general. For once, you hear someone talk about teamwork, selflessness, sacrifice, positive attitude, etc. These are foreign concepts to most of today's NBA stars, but are what success is really all about. I also applaud Phil Jackson for daring to be different. Seeing things differently is often at the core of many successes. In this case, its using the power of the mind and selfless attitudes that are positioned as keys to taking you to the top. These ideas transcend basketball and make for good reading for anyone. I only wish their were more "originals" with a conscience like Phil Jackson.
Rating: 
Summary: It has something to offer everyone
Review: This book was recommended to me by my management professor. Through reading it i saw that it was brilliantly written to appeal to both the athlete and the manager. It is inspirational and intriguing for everyone who will read it.
Coaches and managers will learn how to succeed.
Athletes will be inspired.
Rating:
Summary: Sacred Hoops
Review: This was a great book to read and kept me interested throught the whole book. It invisualizes you to relax and think selfless..
Rating:
Summary: Sacred Hoops- Sacred Book
Review: THis was a great book. I got so much out of it. It is definitely not just for basketball fans. The lessons Jackson teaches apply to everyday life, on or off the court. It was one of those books that sucks you in. It is an excellent book for athletes or mathletes because it teaches that we should show each other, and ourselves, some compassion.
Rating:
Summary: Real sports. Real life. Real coaching. Real Zen.
Review: Very 'readable' book. Gentle autobiography from Phil Jackson, coach of the repeat three-peat Chicago Bulls, and now the championship LA Lakers. From Pentecostal parents to playing with Bill Bradley to coaching in San Juan to Michael Jordan and basketball history; Phil takes us on a journey of his life and mindful basketball. It's a thoughtful mix of Eastern and Native American philosophies, woven into what others make into the win-or-die world of pro sports. Some commentators laugh at the 'Zen Master' and say with Jordan any team can win games. But here you learn the depth of thought and real Zen behind the label, and reevaluate the 'big man' label. Worth reading twice.
Rating:
Summary: Whether you're a basketball fan or not: DON'T MISS IT!
Review: Watching the Chicago Bulls play will never be the same experience again. The ideas presented by Jackson in this book are as usefull off the court as on. Don't read it looking for some esoteric technique for making a jumpshot or a freethrow; read it because it will help you become a better person
Rating:
Summary: Into the Mind of a Great Leader
Review: When a person picks up Phil Jackson's "Sacred Hoops" for the first time and reads the first few chapters, he or she will find it very difficult to categorize. Is it a sports biography? Is it a guide to Zen and Native American spirituality? Is it a manual on leadership? The answer is that it is all of these things and much more.I read "Sacred Hoops" through the lens of how it could make me a more effective leader in a school setting. I found anecdotes in this story applicable to the classroom, the athletic field, in the boardroom, and my personal life. While "Sacred Hoops" does chronicle Phil Jackson's numerous triumphs as a player, a CBA coach, an assistant coach, and eventually as the head coach of the 3-time World Champion Chicago Bulls, the most important elements of this text are not the accolades won, but rather the means by which they were achieved. The two primary lessons of Jackson's that can be directly applied to the field of leadership is to teach one's employees/players/students about the essential nature of awareness and selflessness to the success of the organization. Of course, these two tenants were a difficult sell in the NBA during the Michael Jordan era just as they are today in the age of Kobe and the Lakers. By educating his players on the basic Zen Buddhist principles of visualization and awareness, Jackson is able to create a workforce that is better at communicating with one another, more creative and innovative even under highly stressful situations, and more solidly unified in a "sacred" cause that they are personally and collectively invested in. A manager who could instill these values in his or her workforce will become the leader of an extremely successful and efficient organization. It is no coincidence that Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal did not win their first NBA titles until Phil Jackson became their coach. Phil's second major theme of "Sacred Hoops"--the concept of selflessness--is the key that enabled two of the game's greatest players to finally reach "the promise land." He instills in his superstar player through the 11th and 12th man on the bench that "The power of We is stronger than the power of Me." Coach Jackson's discussion of the numerous team-building techniques that he has used over the years is the most valuable facet of Sacred Hoops for me. His schooling of his players to learn how to play with compassion instead of fear, and to reconnect with their pure love of the game of basketball is absolutely inspiring. Reading this book in June of 2004, it is hard to imagine how torturous it must have been to work with the Los Angeles Lakers during this year's NBA Finals. The attitude projected by his star players--Kobe and Shaq--is the antithesis of the principles of awareness and selflessness that this book so passionately endorses. It does not surprise me in the least that Coach Jackson and the Lakers have now parted ways. Perhaps he will have some more time to relax in Montana and pen another insightful and spiritual tome like this one.
Rating:
Summary: Into the Mind of a Great Leader
Review: When a person picks up Phil Jackson's "Sacred Hoops" for the first time and reads the first few chapters, he or she will find it very difficult to categorize. Is it a sports biography? Is it a guide to Zen and Native American spirituality? Is it a manual on leadership? The answer is that it is all of these things and much more. I read "Sacred Hoops" through the lens of how it could make me a more effective leader in a school setting. I found anecdotes in this story applicable to the classroom, the athletic field, in the boardroom, and my personal life. While "Sacred Hoops" does chronicle Phil Jackson's numerous triumphs as a player, a CBA coach, an assistant coach, and eventually as the head coach of the 3-time World Champion Chicago Bulls, the most important elements of this text are not the accolades won, but rather the means by which they were achieved. The two primary lessons of Jackson's that can be directly applied to the field of leadership is to teach one's employees/players/students about the essential nature of awareness and selflessness to the success of the organization. Of course, these two tenants were a difficult sell in the NBA during the Michael Jordan era just as they are today in the age of Kobe and the Lakers. By educating his players on the basic Zen Buddhist principles of visualization and awareness, Jackson is able to create a workforce that is better at communicating with one another, more creative and innovative even under highly stressful situations, and more solidly unified in a "sacred" cause that they are personally and collectively invested in. A manager who could instill these values in his or her workforce will become the leader of an extremely successful and efficient organization. It is no coincidence that Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal did not win their first NBA titles until Phil Jackson became their coach. Phil's second major theme of "Sacred Hoops"--the concept of selflessness--is the key that enabled two of the game's greatest players to finally reach "the promise land." He instills in his superstar player through the 11th and 12th man on the bench that "The power of We is stronger than the power of Me." Coach Jackson's discussion of the numerous team-building techniques that he has used over the years is the most valuable facet of Sacred Hoops for me. His schooling of his players to learn how to play with compassion instead of fear, and to reconnect with their pure love of the game of basketball is absolutely inspiring. Reading this book in June of 2004, it is hard to imagine how torturous it must have been to work with the Los Angeles Lakers during this year's NBA Finals. The attitude projected by his star players--Kobe and Shaq--is the antithesis of the principles of awareness and selflessness that this book so passionately endorses. It does not surprise me in the least that Coach Jackson and the Lakers have now parted ways. Perhaps he will have some more time to relax in Montana and pen another insightful and spiritual tome like this one.
Rating:
Summary: Mindful Book
Review: When I began to read this book, my initial thought was that it was going to be about leading basketball players. However, my impression immediately changed as I continued to read the book. Phil Jackson describes his ideas and thoughts of mindfulness through his experience as an athlete, coach and son. Jackson discusses building relationships within a team and maintaining these relationship require selflessness and involving all members. His path is shaped and formed from his experiences with various with forms of spirituality, from his Presbyterian upbringing, interest in Eastern religion and Native American philosophy. Jackson's unconventional approach toward leadership is a combination of his spiritual insights and applying those insights on and off the court as well as his experience in the sport of basketball. I thought this book was enjoyable. I felt at times the basketball stories overpowered the thought provoking messages, but nonetheless a book that made you think about being mindful.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully entertaining, interesting, and informative.
Review: Whether you are a basketball fan or not, this is an extremely enjoyable book about Phil Jackson and his coaching approach. We know that, despite his uniqueness, Phil has proved that his methods of coaching are successful. In this book, you get a peek at what he was doing and thinking while coaching the Chicago Bulls, before and immediately after Jordan's first retirement. He is quite candid also about his past as a child, a basketball player, and as a coach before he got to the NBA. He explains the evolution of his personality and personal philosophy over the span of his life. It's fascinating. I loved it, and couldn't stop reading. Review by: Evan Finer, author of "Effortless WellBeing"
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