Rating: 
Summary: A Great Book Indeed
Review: First of all, I need to say that I am very biased towards Coach K. I am 18 and ever since I can remember I have been a huge fan. I picked up the book because of his name but I came away with a lot more than I had hoped for. Through his stories and the way he carries himself, I have a better understanding of the life I am about to enter. I was most impressed by the part about Jimmy V., the story of him made me realize just how great of a guy Coach K is and what it takes to be great like him.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book Indeed
Review: First of all, I need to say that I am very biased towards Coach K. I am 18 and ever since I can remember I have been a huge fan. I picked up the book because of his name but I came away with a lot more than I had hoped for. Through his stories and the way he carries himself, I have a better understanding of the life I am about to enter. I was most impressed by the part about Jimmy V., the story of him made me realize just how great of a guy Coach K is and what it takes to be great like him.
Rating: 
Summary: leading with his ego
Review: from his profanity laced courtside tirades to his unfair treatment of players, coach k. has little credibility to be offering life lessons to the reading public.don't waste your time or money on this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Inspiring Reading as Intro to Leaderhsip
Review: Good book. Good lessons. Resonated well with me because (A) I was at Duke in K's early years and (B) I'm now a CEO working to be a better leader.Where it excels: While many books say, "do this" K explains why you "do this," which makes the lesson much more valuable. Focuses specifically on interpersonal skills, rather than vague over-arching principles of some Forunte 100 CEO. Gives lots of examples and the fact that I witnessed many of them myself (albeit on TV) helped me understand. Summarizes the points at the end of each chapter (though this could be improved). Where it's weak: K himself says he wants honesty, so here it is: He needs more confidence as an author and to set his sights higher. It's a "good" leadership/basketball reminiscing book that could be a truly _great_ leadership-only book if it were better edited to spend less time on irrelevant details of some game in 1988 and more time on being concise. Those details are entertaining, but we're business leaders, we need people to get to the point. The publisher probably said it needed fluff to sell. However, I'll bet a second edition with less fluff and promoted more as a true management book would sell more. In K terminology, the "heart" of this book is in its leadership lessons. We've already seen the games. One other troubling aspect: contradictions. K will talk about honesty with players and media, then later cite a ploy with Brian Davis and "blowing smoke at the media" before the second UNLV game. Those should be clarified. Either way, I recommend it. Coach, you helped me learn.
Rating:
Summary: Philosophy for life
Review: Great book & great coach. If only we all could relate to others the same way, life would be much better. Have purchased five copies so far & mailed them to the grandchildren.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Amazing
Review: I am a great fan of Mike Krzyzweski and I just was taken away by this book. Coach K brought out the sincerity, loyalty, honesty, commitment and drive that has gotten him and his team as far as they have come. I felt like I was sitting beside Coach K throughout the whole time I was reading his advice, strategies, quotes, and thoughts. As a trainer, I use his book on a regular basis, quoting him, taking his ideas on team building and developing minds of young people. I recommend this book to everyone who has a team, whether sports or business related. Some people may think that they have the perfect team already, but I assure you, "Leading with the Heart", will make you even better: in mind, spirit, and commitment.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational
Review: I am a high school Athletic Director and Girls' Basketball Coach. I read Coach K's book and had a very difficult time putting it down. I found myself constantly stopping and writing things down. It had so many wonderful ideas, concepts and suggestions on how not only I can better lead my team each season, but how I can better lead the coaches I work with as an athletic director each day. This book has caused me to stop and rethink some of the things I do. I am currently re-evaluating some of my approaches to working with student-athletes, as well as, the way I lead the coaches in my charge. This book has also reaffirmed that some of the things I am currently doing are good ways of leading my players and coaches. I do not want to spoil the ideas Coach K has shared in his book. But, I am very excited about some of the things I am currently in the process of implementing in my daily interactions with my players and staff. This book is a must have for every coach and athletic director. It is a must read for anyone looking for suggestions on better ways to lead no matter what their profession. This book will make you think and generate ideas in your head to make yourself a more effective leader. I did not agree with everything in the entire book. I believe some of the ideas in his book are more related to coaching at the collegiate level and could not possibly apply to high school coaching. But, there certainly is something in this book for everyone. It is a great resource for everyone whether you are a CEO, college coach, high school or middle school coach, or someone unsure of exactly where they are going in life. This book will inspire any of those individuals. Coach K shares real life experiences. He talks about family, education, friendships, and coaching. He does not preach. He shares his experiences, his successes, his failures. It is an entertaining book as well as educational. The layout of the book is also very effective. The way the book is set up I can keep it on my shelf as a resource I can refer to at anytime. I plan to keep it in my office and refer to often. I do not feel I can implement all the ideas this book produced in my head in one season. I will continue to use this book to help me become the most effective leader I can be, the best coach I can be, the best athletic director I can be. I highly recommend this book. I was a Duke fan before I read this book. I have always enjoyed the way they played the game of basketball. I now understand why they play the game so well. I now understand why they have been so successful. I understand why Duke is one of the most respected programs in all of college basketball. They have an extremely intelligent, hard working, and caring individual leading them. He cares not only about winning basketball games, but about each individual involved in the Duke Family. I was a Duke fan before I read this book. Now I'm a Mike Krzyzewski fan.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational
Review: I am a high school Athletic Director and Girls' Basketball Coach. I read Coach K's book and had a very difficult time putting it down. I found myself constantly stopping and writing things down. It had so many wonderful ideas, concepts and suggestions on how not only I can better lead my team each season, but how I can better lead the coaches I work with as an athletic director each day. This book has caused me to stop and rethink some of the things I do. I am currently re-evaluating some of my approaches to working with student-athletes, as well as, the way I lead the coaches in my charge. This book has also reaffirmed that some of the things I am currently doing are good ways of leading my players and coaches. I do not want to spoil the ideas Coach K has shared in his book. But, I am very excited about some of the things I am currently in the process of implementing in my daily interactions with my players and staff. This book is a must have for every coach and athletic director. It is a must read for anyone looking for suggestions on better ways to lead no matter what their profession. This book will make you think and generate ideas in your head to make yourself a more effective leader. I did not agree with everything in the entire book. I believe some of the ideas in his book are more related to coaching at the collegiate level and could not possibly apply to high school coaching. But, there certainly is something in this book for everyone. It is a great resource for everyone whether you are a CEO, college coach, high school or middle school coach, or someone unsure of exactly where they are going in life. This book will inspire any of those individuals. Coach K shares real life experiences. He talks about family, education, friendships, and coaching. He does not preach. He shares his experiences, his successes, his failures. It is an entertaining book as well as educational. The layout of the book is also very effective. The way the book is set up I can keep it on my shelf as a resource I can refer to at anytime. I plan to keep it in my office and refer to often. I do not feel I can implement all the ideas this book produced in my head in one season. I will continue to use this book to help me become the most effective leader I can be, the best coach I can be, the best athletic director I can be. I highly recommend this book. I was a Duke fan before I read this book. I have always enjoyed the way they played the game of basketball. I now understand why they play the game so well. I now understand why they have been so successful. I understand why Duke is one of the most respected programs in all of college basketball. They have an extremely intelligent, hard working, and caring individual leading them. He cares not only about winning basketball games, but about each individual involved in the Duke Family. I was a Duke fan before I read this book. Now I'm a Mike Krzyzewski fan.
Rating:
Summary: A great book for Basketball, Business, and Leadership
Review: I chose this book to read for a business class at my college. The book focuses around Coach K and his experiences with basketball. He alludes to his theories applications towards business some, but it is up to the reader to apply them to his/her own business situations. His theories though on leadership and family are empowering, touching, and entertaining. I highly recommend this book to anyone. It's not just a book for the basketball lover, Duke fan, or business reader. It's a book that shows how one man has steadfastly stood by his beliefs throughout his life. Great book, Coach K!
Rating:
Summary: Coach's Notebook Reviews Leading with the Heart
Review: I felt honored when I had a chance to review Coach Krzyzewski's new book, Leading with the Heart. The Duke basketball program has a special place in the hearts of Alaskans like me. I had a chance to watch Trajan Langdon grow up in the local youth leagues. He and Carlos Boozer thrilled high school basketball fans for many years. So, when our home town boys became part of such a respected basketball program, a sense of pride grew within all of us who have been involved with local sports. When Duke appeared at the Great Alaskan Shootout in November, 1998 the roar of the crowd made it perfectly clear that the Blue Devils had a home away from home. Admittedly, I was curious about a few things. How does a coach deal with the pressure of taking a team to the NCAA Championship finals? What is Coach K's personality like away from the cameras? What does his team hear behind the closed doors of the locker room? Happily, these questions are answered with frankness and honesty. In fact, honesty is a core value of the Duke program. After reading the book, you may view the word a little differently. There isn't much time for pleasure reading in my schedule. Leading with the Heart seems to empathize with the time demands upon a busy coach. The chapters are short. Prefaced with a few pertinent leading quotations from Coach Krzyzewski (and occasionally from a player or influential acquaintance), the chapters follow a concise business-like format. At the end of the chapter, Coach's points are summarized. Krzyzewski says that one must be a great teacher in order to be a great coach, and he has designed Leading with the Heart like a textbook. OK, let's cut to the chase. Let me tell you why I really liked this book. In my entire basketball experience, I have seen coaches pursue talent at any cost. I have seen players blessed with physique and ability recruited, pampered, spoiled and overused. Ironically, talent alone doesn't win. Without strength of character, or heart, talent isn't enough when the team is truly tested. In the book, Coach plainly states that you can't win championships without talent. But the book isn't about building a winning tradition on talent, its about establishing a winning tradition by building character, both in the players and in the team. In Coach K's eyes, the team is analogous to a fist. Each of the five players is like a finger. Alone, they have their individual ability to contribute, but once they unite into a fist, they have power. Any fist can break any finger. The stronger the fingers, the stronger the fist can be, but the fingers must be committed to the common goal to attain their ultimate potential. So, let's say you're a high school coach. How can Leading with the Heart help you build that fist? Coach Krzyzewski offers many examples of how he dealt with players, assistant coaches and game situations. It takes many examples to explain because people are so unique. If, as a high school coach, you understand your core values and you have the courage to stand behind them, you can trust your heart as Coach Krzyzewski has done to meet the variety of situations basketball will throw at you. If you are still discovering the inner qualities that mean the most to you, consider using the examples that the Duke basketball program is based upon. The book makes no secret of the values that have led to success for the Blue Devils. For example, Krzyzewski insists that his players have respect for authority. In game situations, the leadership must be trusted without hesitation. One of my favorite lines from the book is on page 38. "If a young man rolls his eyes when his mom asks me a question, I'm not sure I am going to offer him a scholarship." How refreshing! Another point I liked is the concept that the team is bigger than the players. The coach is on the team. The assistant coaches are on the team. They are all part of that symbolic fist. Coach K even includes the Cameron Crazies. It makes such perfect sense. The bigger the fist, the greater the power. Imagine a gym full of people wanting exactly the same thing! Lastly, I want to commend Mike Krzyzewski for allowing a glimpse into his personal life. I don't think this was easy to do. If you decide to read the book, you'll understand how critical values were instilled in Coach by his family, West Point, and even Bobby Knight, his college coach. As I read, I began to see him as a zealot - a man totally committed to his program. Yes, zeal leads to excellence, but the problem with total commitment to anything is that the other sides of life are compromised. And, Krzyzewski shares his realization that he was straying from his core values to the detriment of his health, his family and his team. In the book's opening paragraph is the one rule placed on the Duke team, "Don't do anything detrimental to yourself". Coach K was working himself into exhaustion. The final section of the book is about Krzyzewski's relationship with Jim Valvano, head coach at North Carolina State University, during the last six month's of Valvano's life. This section is touching, funny at times and makes one stop and consider what is really important in life. Leading with the Heart retails for $24.95. The Coach's Notebook doesn't receive anything if you buy the book. But, I think you will enjoy it. And, if it helps you build a team that achieves the unity that Coach K describes, then imagine how many people will benefit - you, your staff, your players, their parents and anyone else you've enjoined as your "fist". I wish you the best. Steve Jordan
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