From Publishers Weekly
With a style so conversational that readers will almost be able to hear the voice of the late, great Michigan Wolverines football coach, Schembechler (1929-2006), it seems as if coauthor and sportswriter Bacon did little more than push the record button and let Schembechler dictate this exceedingly unconventional business title. The coach—who earned the respect of practically every player, coach and fan during his 30 years as Michigan's head coach—lets loose his boisterous personality in italicized and capitalized words, exclamation points and rhetorical questions that punctuate otherwise simple statements and observations. Completed just days before the coach was brought down by heart disease, this volume spells out the leadership principles by which he lived en route to 13 Big 10 titles and 10 Rose Bowl appearances. The book contains no complicated formulas or M.B.A. treatises, but rather commonsense approaches to everything from setting goals and motivating mid-level employees to emphasizing execution and maintaining focus under fire. Along the way, Schembechler shares details from both his professional and personal lives, in which he's always prepared for anything. Schembechler's lessons are practical, well-illustrated and based on a solid legacy of determination and hard work.
(Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"Absolutely wonderful. I hear my old friend in these pages, and his advice is just as direct as he was. Read it - and pay attention!" --
Mike Wallace, 60 Minutes"Bacon had the great fortune to sit down with Bo and hear story after story, lesson after lesson. Read this book and you'll feel like you were there. Outstanding!" --
Dan Dierdorf, College and NFL Hall of Famer, NFL on CBS Analyst"Bo's persona fairly crackles on the pages of Bacon's book. Good stuff from a good man who also happened to be a pretty darn good football coach. A classic." --
Keith Jackson, Hall of Fame Broadcaster, ABC Sports"Having spent many days with Bo, I can tell you few men inspired others to be their best the way he did. A player once made the same mistake over and over in practice, he admitted, just to hear Bo yell at him. His athletes said they'd follow him to the ends of the earth, but beyond this world, even with his passing, Bo's words still inspire those who remember him. His voice was that strong. This book is a fine connection to that voice, which embodied, every day, true leadership." --
MITCH ALBOM, author and columnist"If you knew Bo personally, this book is a chance to spend one more unforgettable day with him. If you didn't, you'll see some sides of him you might have missed from a distance: his humor, his compassion, even - dare I say it - his sensitivity. Make no mistake, though: Bo's leadership lessons are no-nonsense, straightforward - and incredibly effective." --
John Robinson, former Head Coach, USC Trojans and LA Rams"In an era of corporate coaches who might as well be accountants, Bo's throaty growl and gruff but loving style are sorely missed. There is nothing superficial about Bo's basic philosophy of life and leadership - and his lessons are truly timeless." --
David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author of When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi
