Be Quick But Don't Hurry

Rating:
Summary: Life, success, leadership, relationships
Review: Andrew Hill did something that I have never seen an author do before - he wrote a loving and wonderful book about a man whom he bitterly "viewed as a teacher who had failed [him] in his class for three straight years." Hill's journey of introspection and ultimate friendship with his former UCLA basketball coach, the legendary John Wooden, is just half of this great book. The other half is John Wooden's twenty-one secrets, or teachings, for a lifetime of success. I highly recommend this unique and inspiring book to leaders and followers, teachers and scholars, coaches and players, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives.

After I read "Wooden" by John Wooden and Steve Jamison, I bought and read this book. I was initially disappointed with Hill's less-than-stellar, yet brutally honest, portrayal of a man for whom I have the deepest respect. I even thought about throwing the book away in disgust. I am glad I decided to keep it and read it all the way. I would have missed out on a truly fascinating and entertaining opportunity to learn many things that are helping me be a better person. I believe the same opportunity exists for anyone who reads this book.

Rating:
Summary: The teachings of basketball related to the lessons in life!
Review: Be Quick - But Don't Hurry! by Andrew Hill may be one of the most influential books I have ever read. The author teaches the reader about how to be successful in any aspect of life through the teachings of what John Wooden had taught him at UCLA. John Wooden is arguably the best coach of all time, for any sport or level of play, so it makes sense that the key to his achievement as a coach was based on a plan that truly worked. He called his "plan" the Pyramid of Success, and he enforced it upon every athlete that played for him. Andrew Hill was a great High School basketball player but did not shine in basketball as much at UCLA during the late 1960's and early 1970's, but the lessons he got out of John Wooden lead him to be a business success in the television broadcasting industry for CBS. If you are a fan of basketball, this book will interest you, because it relates basketball to succession in business, and makes the keys to business succession easy to understand. All in all, this book will teach you at least one lesson, and will probably leave you with ideas of changing your life style to achieve exactly what you want in life. This is a definite must read book.

Rating:
Summary: The teachings of basketball related to the lessons in life!
Review: Be Quick - But Don't Hurry! by Andrew Hill may be one of the most influential books I have ever read. The author teaches the reader about how to be successful in any aspect of life through the teachings of what John Wooden had taught him at UCLA. John Wooden is arguably the best coach of all time, for any sport or level of play, so it makes sense that the key to his achievement as a coach was based on a plan that truly worked. He called his "plan" the Pyramid of Success, and he enforced it upon every athlete that played for him. Andrew Hill was a great High School basketball player but did not shine in basketball as much at UCLA during the late 1960's and early 1970's, but the lessons he got out of John Wooden lead him to be a business success in the television broadcasting industry for CBS. If you are a fan of basketball, this book will interest you, because it relates basketball to succession in business, and makes the keys to business succession easy to understand. All in all, this book will teach you at least one lesson, and will probably leave you with ideas of changing your life style to achieve exactly what you want in life. This is a definite must read book.

Rating:
Summary: For Teachers, Managers, Basketball Fans, Men and Their Wives
Review: Be Quick But Don't Hurry is not only a great and quick read, but Andy Hill's application of the 23 "Secrets" (Wooden's Pyramid of success)that Coach John Wooden utilized in coaching the most successful teams in the history of college basketball are transferable to teaching, business, the non-profit sector, management and even friendships. Hill's touching relationship with Wooden speaks to the lives of any man who thinks of his own father, for better and worse. After 30 years, Hill recognized that his own personal success in business was fundamentally influenced by what the Coach taught him and his team mates. This book can be of good use by teachers, clergy (of which I am one), managers in large and small business, students, athletes, men and their wives who want to better understand their husband's relationships not only with other men, but more importantly with their fathers.

Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking excellent summaries of Wooden's Secrects
Review: I bought this book because I'm an admirer of John Wooden and his leadership principles. While the book lists John Wooden as a coauthor, he would be more appropriately described as the writer of the forward and the afterword. The greatest value of the book comes from the 21 Secrets that are accredited to Wooden (e.g., secret #17, Focus on your team, not on your opposition). The majority of the book is however written by Andrew Hill who was a former UCLA player and was a former President at CBS. I admire Hill's series Touched by an Angel, even though I had never heard of him before. Mr. Hill's dialogue is sometimes distracting and can sometimes sound like a plea for his own self-worth (he was bench-warmer during college), yet builds his credibility after he reconnects how his professional success is attributable to what he learned from the Wizard of Westwood (Wooden). While sometimes distracting, it does give a good first-person perceptive from someone who succeeded later in life and made me appreciate the book more as a personal-development/management book than a sports-book. As an MBA student at UC Davis (go Aggies!) I fully agree with the simple elegance of Wooden's style. If the book would have been written by Bill Walton, it probably would have better suited for a sports-nut and not as a management book. The revealing of Wooden as a great coach and a person who admits that he is not perfect makes the book interesting and thought-provoking.

The lesson of the book is that it is often much later in life that we learn the value of what we have been taught.

I would recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of Wooden, his philosophy regarding his Pyramid of Success, someone who is a die-hard Bruin fan, and anyone who wants to learn good fundamental team-coaching skills.

Rating:
Summary: Inspirational
Review: John Wooden is one of the most successful coaches in the history of Basketball, so trusting in his own "Pyramid of Success" will be easy. I was surprisingly inspired by this book, and now I truly believe that I can achieve success in my own life by using his guide. Andrew Hill's writting is personal, yet understandable, and certainly kept me interested. This book is an easy read with a great message that is sure to inspire anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Must have!
Review: Must have! This is my three book on "Coach." "Be Quick, Don't Hurry," is a great read.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent advice for anyone in a leadership position
Review: The book begins with a brief summary of Hill's introduction to Wooden and Hill realization that the only reason he's made it this far is because Wooden's teachings so ingrained in his mind from his time at UCLA and that they are applicable to all aspects of life. He relates Wooden's 21 "secrets" to his business life, and demonstrates how they guided him to the top. It's amazing how perfectly these teachings fit into regular life. John Wooden is truly an enlightened soul.

In fact, I have implemented a few of his lessons into my life already, and it has made quite a difference. In a band I have gotten together, I have gone for talent, in keeping with rule #1 "The team with the best players always wins". I have gotten the best singer, the best metal guitarist and the most unique drummer. It's incredible that Wooden's teachings even apply to a heavy metal band, something at the opposite end of his spectrum. Whenever I am selected to be in a leadership position I skim this book to better prepare myself to succeed. The way these "secrets" apply to every aspect of life where success is an issue is awe inspiring.

Rating:
Summary: Review
Review: This is a really good book, highly readable. It's about the author (Hill) realizing, after 30 years, how much he learned from his college basketball coach (Wooden). Hill then explains the Wooden's philosophy in 21 steps. Good storytelling with a lot of insight.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Way to Live your Life
Review: When I first had to read this book for my Honors Economics class, I was very unsure if I was going to like it at all. I have always had a hard time getting along with coaches whom I played for so I was wondering why I had chosen a book that was about a coach. But my fears were laid to rest once I started reading this book; I came to realize that good intentions really are behind many of the decision that coaches make. This book was very well written and kept me wanting to read more. John Wooden's "Pyramid of Success" can be interpeted in many different ways. So many aspects of life apply to this pyramid model which can serve as a guide during those moments of feeling lost. This book was entertaning yet full of lessons for a successful life. I especially recommend this book to all athletes who question their coaches' widsom as well as to people who could use a little guidence through life's journey.