Rating: 
Summary: Very Good But Nothing New.
Review: If you are a bob Knight supporter, you will enjoy this book. The best part of this book can be summed up in one peice of advice:
"Don't be ashamed to ask for help or advice, and be generous when giving advice. Seek help from good people who have come before you and help out others who will come in the future."
What is amazing about this book is the vast and diverse pool of people who have helped Bob Knight and who have been helped by Knight. He is not ashamed to give credit to those who have helped him.
This book falls down when it comes to Bob Knight's "troubles." It is also very difficult to hold the readers interest through every season of 29 years of coaching.
Rating:
Summary: 'It's them, not me.'
Review: If you are looking for intense self-examination or autobiography in light of the author's public controversies that culminated in his firing by Indiana University, you won't find it here. And why should you? A person like this is not going to change or subject himself to self-scrutiny. Much of the book is devoted to a restrained but prideful review of his coaching career, and for basketball fans, these reminiscences about victories over UCLA or Michigan in the mid-seventies can make interesting history. In other parts of the book, Knight answers his critics by telling 'his side' of various issues, from cutting Charles Barkley from the Olympic tryouts (he was overweight, out of shape, and wouldn't/couldn't lose the nine pounds per week Knight demanded; Barkley allegedly corroborates this) to Larry Bird's quiet departure from IU (he was out of his element and then, at only 6'6" and 180 pounds, not yet the phenomenon he would become in two years). But even with Bird, Knight's explanation of the situation seems more a rationalization than an admission of fault. While he acknowledges that he stuck Bird with the wrong roommate, one gets the feeling here and elsewhere in the book that admitting personal 'fault' for Knight is always qualified, a token gesture in service of the larger position that the hero may be flawed but is unassailably right. Like most monomaniacs, Knight finds a conspiracy (sportswriters, the IU administration) out to get him, not mentioning that he thrives on that sensational persona. Knight is obviously a very successful and effective basketball coach, yet any coach who had displayed the same intimidating, acting-out, sexist behaviours without Knight's success (ie, bringing money and fame to the university) would have been 'released' much more swiftly. It's ironic that Knight, such a stalwart advocate of education first, sports second, would find in IU president Myles Brand his greatest persecutor. Let's keep those priorities consistent, Bob. The educators are right; the coach is wrong. Books must be read in context. This one emerges--surprise--just as the 2002 NCAA tournament happens--Indiana U, Knight's former team and employer, surprising the basketball world with its march to the final game tonight, while his current team, Texas Tech, has long been eliminated. Apparently Knight loyalists--and he always demands loyalty from those around him, especially as he defines it--including Knight's son, Pat, an assistant at Texas Tech, have drawn battle lines and are actually cheering for the opposing teams in the tournament. After all, the current Indiana team are 'Knight's players,' ones that he himself recruited before his firing. This kind of pettiness is ridiculous, immature. To withhold support from these student-athletes is hypocritical for anyone, most of all Knight, who has always insisted that it's about the kids, not the politics. (To be fair, a recent news report noted that while Knight's son and others maintain their dogged 'loyalty,' Knight has said that he hopes the best for these current Indiana players.) The current coach, Mike Davis, deserves the utmost praise for what he has done this season, a black man following a coaching 'legend' in an unruly situation to create a team that finds itself in the championship game. Perhaps the biggest problem with the book is that it seems cursorily written, again timed for prompt arrival on bookshelves just as this year's tournament heats up, with Knight and his former team being participants. For me, the tournament contains more drama than the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Straight from the general's mouth....
Review: If you're a Knight fan, you will love this book. If you're not, you're likely to hate it. Coach Knight recounts many of the incidents that have made him one of the polarizing figures in sports. Find out what really happened in his final seasons at IU. Laugh heartily at his tales of run-ins with non-fans from New Orleans to Puerto Rico. Observe his relationships with colleagues (Parcells, Larusa, Woody Hayes), players (Jordan, Thomas, Alford, Cheney), and friends (Ted Williams, Dick Vitale). Best of all, appreciate how he uses basketball as a vehicle for teaching character. My only disappointment was his neglect of the reported friction between him and some of his former players (who I also admire) like Alford and Krzyzewski. I wish he would have explained or dismissed the media's fixation on these supposed grievances. Instead, he ignores it. If you are disgusted by the deluge of recent negative stories from the sports page, then read this and be confident that at least one man requires his players study, behave, and play hard.
Rating:
Summary: Straight from the general's mouth....
Review: If you're a Knight fan, you will love this book. If you're not, you're likely to hate it. Coach Knight recounts many of the incidents that have made him one of the polarizing figures in sports. Find out what really happened in his final seasons at IU. Laugh heartily at his tales of run-ins with non-fans from New Orleans to Puerto Rico. Observe his relationships with colleagues (Parcells, Larusa, Woody Hayes), players (Jordan, Thomas, Alford, Cheney), and friends (Ted Williams, Dick Vitale). Best of all, appreciate how he uses basketball as a vehicle for teaching character. My only disappointment was his neglect of the reported friction between him and some of his former players (who I also admire) like Alford and Krzyzewski. I wish he would have explained or dismissed the media's fixation on these supposed grievances. Instead, he ignores it. If you are disgusted by the deluge of recent negative stories from the sports page, then read this and be confident that at least one man requires his players study, behave, and play hard.
Rating:
Summary: It really is "Knight, _His_ Story"
Review: If you're a true Knight-o-phile, you absolutely must read this book. If you're a somewhat disinterested observer who enjoyed "Season on the Brink", let me caution you: this may not be the best book for you. This book is really a collection of anecdotes and homages to various friends (coaching mentors Clair Bee, Pete Newell, Henry Iba, Fred Taylor, Red Auerbach and others play prominent roles). Told in a voice that is sometimes self-deprecating and other times a bit holier-than-thou, Knight is generally entertaining, humorous and extremely intelligent. If you've following RMK's career closely, you will likely enjoy his inside stories. Even more entertaining is a game you can play while reading the book: based upon how he describes acquaintances, figuring out who is still on his good side (they'll be mentioned in glowing terms)... and who is persona non grata (they won't be mentioned at all - or dissed in a short paragraph). Basketball's greatest tactician is easy to read in this regard: he wears his feelings on his sleeve, at least as it pertains to friendships and loyalties. If you're looking for a 'Season on the Brink' (the book, not the lame movie effort) followup, this is not it. You'd be better off reading Alford's 'Playing for Knight'. Instead, RMK describes the rich legacy of coaching that Iba, Newell, Bee and others left him. His friends, both famous and obscure, are credited here - Ted Williams and Bill Parcells are two notables that left lasting impressions. Just be aware that the the book is a lengthy chronicle of his background, feelings and relationships... the entertainment value of which is not necessarily high, but informative and interesting nonetheless.
Rating: 
Summary: A must for Hoosier basketball fans and basketball coaches
Review: In "Knight: My Story", coach Knight lets us all into his world.
This autobiographical view takes the reader on a trip from Knight's high school days in Orrville, OH, all the way to the start of his first season at Texas Tech. Those familar with "The General" will no doubt be impressed that "he tells it like it is" as easily in the written form as he does with the spoken word. There's no question that this is Knight's book! Basketball coaches will appreciate the snippets that Knight provides of "his" approach to basketball. While, not an "X's and O's" kind of book, there's plenty of basketball talk found here! Knight philosophical view of the game (and competition itself) really jumps off the pages of the book. There are copious amounts of "name-dropping" throughout the book, which I think shows the "small-town boy" that's still present in Knight's being. Anecdotes about big-time celebs such Ted Williams, Howard Cosell, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, and Presidents Ford and Bush are prominently discussed, just to name a very few. The index of the book is impressive if, for no only reason, then for the sheer number of major "players" that are displayed. All in all, this is a very enjoyable and quick read. Knight pulls no punches in discribing his firing from Indiana. For Hoosier fans, some of it will be gut-wrenching! Highly recommended for all basketball fans, but especially those from the Hoosier state!
Rating:
Summary: The General
Review: In "Knight: My Story", coach Knight lets us all into his world.
This autobiographical view takes the reader on a trip from Knight's high school days in Orrville, OH, all the way to the start of his first season at Texas Tech. Those familar with "The General" will no doubt be impressed that "he tells it like it is" as easily in the written form as he does with the spoken word. There's no question that this is Knight's book!
Basketball coaches will appreciate the snippets that Knight provides of "his" approach to basketball. While, not an "X's and O's" kind of book, there's plenty of basketball talk found here! Knight philosophical view of the game and competition itself really jumps off the pages of the book.Bobby knight is a coach to be reckoned with. His thoughts and views about the game of basketball are unbelieveable. He is the greatest coach that ever lived.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Game There Is
Review: In the middle of Myles Brand's machinations to fire Bob Knight, the Indiana coach confessed to Dick Vitale: All I want to do is coach. That's why you read a book like this -- for the satisfaction of witnessing one man's honest dedication. The story of integrity fighting the forces which try to undermine it is always worth reading. This is a book about basketball and one man's love for it, from his experience playing with Havlicek at Ohio State, to coaching West Point, the Olympic team, and the championship teams at Indiana, to some remarkable experiences aroun the world. Coach Knight analyzes basketball like chess, at a level of detail and concentration that few can match. Consequently, his ability is often overlooked or mistaken for something it is not. After Knight was fired from Indiana, he continued to keep a notepad by his bed for any ideas about basketball that might occur to him through the night. I would call his love of the game a kind of innocence that transcends the basketball court. He expects everyone to play by the rules because he plays by the rules. When someone cheats, he gets angry. Deceit surprises him and disappoints him. Knight's autobiography is an extended conversation unfiltered by the selectivity of sportswriters and commentators. For second-hand judgments about Knight's character, we should listen to his previous players and assistant coaches, for they knew him best. In fact, an impressive list of characters, from all walks of life, came to Knight's defense and count him a friend, which makes for some interesting stories, such as fly-fishing with Ted Williams and hunting with the king of Spain. Those who feel they must judge Bob Knight must first know something about basketball, its history, how it has been changed and why; about Knight's approach and his understanding of the game; and about the con game known as journalism. His harshest critics have never dribbled a basketball. Today athletic departments are full of lawyers making decisions that lack the weight and authority of experience. Other times had the age of the craftsmen or the hero. We have the age of administration. You will find some insight into these topics in this book. Here is a man whose contributions far outweigh his shortcomings. How many of us can look at our lives and say the same? If you were a fan of Indiana basketball, you probably watched Knight's teams with almost as much intensity as he did. That's who this book is for.
Rating:
Summary: Knight's side of the story
Review: It's great to hear what Bob Knight has to say without it being filtered through the media. He goes through each allegation and sets the record straight, even admitting guilt on occasion. I earned a new respect for the guy after hearing how highly he speaks of those in his environment. The book could have used a little less mention of friends' names, but it's not my book. I enjoyed it and think it's worth reading if you like reading about controversy.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Coach -- Not So Great Book
Review: Let's get my bias out of the way first: I like Coach Knight. While he has lost his temper at times, he is an honest person and a fine teacher of college men. The vast majority of players who have played for him claim that they are better people because of him and I believe them. That being said, I can't get quite excited about this book as I can regarding Texas Tech's chances in the upcoming basketball season. While this book is full of many interesting anecdotes and stories, it lacks organization. This is especially true as you near the end of the book. Instead of following an outline or logical flow, the book jumps from issue to issue and story without logical transitions. Overall, I would recommend it to people who are big Bobby Knight fans except that I would be surprised if there is anything in the book that would be all the surprising to a big fan. What I enjoyed was when he would share his opinions of other sports stars and coaches and even his opinions of political leaders. For example we learn of his friendship with Ted Williams and hunting trips with President Bush and Stormin' Norman but that comes mixed between some other topics that aren't as compelling. There have been other books written about Knight such as Feinstein's that might not be as flattering but might be more compelling to read. I would recommend reading this book and one of the others and comparing them. It would make for an interesting contrast. In short, I'll be rooting for the Coach again this season, but it won't be beacuse of anything that I read about it in this book.
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