Finding the Winning Edge [Hardcover]

Brian Billick (Author), Bill Walsh (Author), James Peterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 7, 1997

When those who chronicle the history of the game list the individuals who had the greatest impact on the National Football League, Bill Walsh will clearly be among the names of Halas, Lombardi, Brown, Landry, Noll and Shula. But when you consider who has impacted the game most in terms of those who sought to copy, emulate, reproduce or extend a definable system, style or structure, Bill Walsh stands alone. In Finding the Winning Edge, the coach of three Super Bowl Championships illustrates and outlines the basic organizational, coaching and system philosophies that he has used throughout his career.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

You don't win three Super Bowls with luck. Bill Walsh, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers during the great Montana years, provides an inside look at his tenure with a team that will be remembered as one of the era's most dominating professional sports organizations. It's all here: the West Coast Offense made famous by the 'Niners; the incredible attention to detail in the locker room and on the field; the clutch play-calling that resulted in timeless sporting moments such as "The Drive" that defeated Cincinnati in the final seconds of Super Bowl XXIII. Walsh took over a team in trouble and transformed it into a force to be reckoned with. In Finding the Winning Edge he reveals the methods behind this transformation, including his program for hiring and developing a staff; evaluating and acquiring key players; building a game plan; and overcoming the mental barriers that frequently plague talented teams; Walsh spares no details. Serious football fans and coaches will find this to be an invaluable resource for understanding the highest levels of the game.

About the Author

About the Author After studying chemistry at the University of California at Berkeley, James Peterson fell in love with food while picking grapes for a winemaker in the south of France. He studied in France at Le Cordon Bleu, and later worked at the then three-star restaurants Le Vivarois and Chez La Mere Blanc (now Georges Blanc). Peterson returned to the United States in 1979 and was partner and chef at Le Petit Robert in New York's Greenwich Village, and has also taught and developed curriculum at The French Culinary Institute in Manhattan and taught at Peter Kump's New York Cooking School. Peterson has translated six French books on pastry and baking, and is the author of Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making, the first edition of which was The James Beard Foundation Cookbook of the Year in 1992. He also wrote Splendid Soups, which was nominated for a James Beard Foundation award in 1994, and Fish and Shellfish, winner of the International Association of Culinary Professionals Julia Child Award for best book on a single subject. His latest book, Vegetables, appeared in the spring of 1998.

Billick is head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 550 pages
• Publisher: Sports Publishing Inc.; First Edition edition (December 7, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571671722
• ISBN-13: 978-1571671721
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.1 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #547,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bible for football coaches everywhere!, September 6, 2000

By 

Joshua Kotelnicki (Grand Forks, ND USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Finding the Winning Edge (Hardcover)

In his book, Bill Walsh goes through football from A to Z. Everything, and I mean everything that you would ever want to know about football, from offensive and defensive philosophy to the role of the "head of football relations" to what to tell a team after a disappointing season is covered. Every serious coach has heard of Bill Walsh and understands the role his innovative offensive philosophy plays in modern football. Now read his exact ideas for yourself.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another awesome work by Walsh, March 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Finding the Winning Edge (Hardcover)

Walsh's previous book, Building a Champion, was sort of a topical, overview, easy-read version of this book. In this one, Walsh fleshes out ALL of the details of all of his philosophies on how to run a football organization from management to players. He outlines the job descriptions of everyone in the organization from the GM down to the office secretaries. He covers every esoteric subject like Who should drive a prospective player back to the airport after interviewing with the team. There's also tons of real (as opposed to administrative) football here. He describes what to look for when evaluating players. How to construct offensive and defensive game plans, and plenty more. This book is a NFL Head Coach's blueprint, bible, and handbook. However, there's plenty here for the fanatic knowledge-hungry fan to take their understanding of the game up several notches. Not for the "only casually" interested.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you coach football, you MUST read this book, December 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Finding the Winning Edge (Hardcover)

This is, without a doubt, the most complete and detailed book on coaching football. Although written for the professional level of the game, it is applicable to every level and has valuable lessons for every of the game.

I don't really think this is a good general management book, however, as some people have mentioned above. Although the ideas it contains can be applied to general management, they are strictly defined in terms of football in this book. Somebody who is not a football coach would not be able to sit through it all.

But for football coaches, this is the ULTIMATE book.