Customer Reviews

Geno: In Pursuit of Perfection

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's rare these days -- I just couldn't stop reading. Auriemma's co-writer creates a style that makes Geno come across as a good guy who tries hard - a real rags to riches, Horatio Alger story.

As a basketball fan, I loved the glimpses into life at UConn and the stories beyond some legendary playeres. In particular, I liked Diana Taurasi's introduction and the brief mentions of her background and style. She's a fascinating person as well as a great player, adding charisma he way Lisa Leslie once did.

Geno tells the truth, too. After UConn, many players faced a letdown. I watched Taurasi play against Seattle next year, as a member of the Arizona team. She tried hard but was obviously frustrated being a top player on a mid-level team.

Ironically, there are many parallels between Taurasi and Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee's star, who would have graduated just before Taurasi went to UConn. Both began their WNBA careers as Number 1 draft picks on low-ranked teams. And both complained about being so famous. Tough, said both coaches.

I also liked Geno's report of recruiting,a coach's toughest job, he says.

A few times I flipped pages while Geno pontificated and philosophized. Most mostly I loved it...and despite a long and growing "To Do" list, I kept reading.

I read this book in one day because I was excited to see what Geno would say about his life and career. I for one am a big fan of Geno, his career, his coaching methods, and how he has helped his players in life and in basketball. I have to admit that this book isn't written as well as it could be (some memories are somewhat fragmented and it sometimes gets confusing as he jumps from one story to another) but I still really liked it and learned a lot from it.
To all those people who think Geno is a jerk, read this book with an open mind and reconsider that idea. To those people that have read the book and still hate him, all I have to say is that you must have not been reading very closely because you missed the entire point of the book. Geno repeatedly makes statements about how he doesn't take himself seriously, and about why he acts how he acts because of how his life has gone, and he provides many instances where he had made mistakes that he has regretted and apologized for. He may be confident, but confident doesn't equal cocky. He is just a normal person that happens to be doing his job in the public eye, being observed by millions of people. Sure, he may have faults, but so does everyone, and that's what makes this book interesting. The fact that many people who call him a jerk are big fans of Pat Summit is another interesting point, which is addressed somewhat in the book. I am a fan of both coaches, and I was interested to hear about the Auriemma-Summit relationship from another point of view. I personally think Geno covers the subject well and also speaks highly of Summit much more than he criticizes her.
The parts of the book that makes me respect him the most are when he discusses how his players responded to his coaching methods, and how many of his former players are still in close contact with him years after graduating. Hearing how many of his former players refer to him as their second father makes you understand how much he has done for them in life and in basketball. I think anyone who is a basketball fan, especially a women's basketball fan, should read this book.

I personally Loved the book, particularly all of the juicy little tidbits of info Geno gives about UCONN players from the year he started to present. Being a Type A personality and perfectionist myself, I understood totally, how and why Geno puts the pressure on himself and his players that he does. Anything less than Perfect is not worth playing the game for. This book was not as much a biography or memoir of Geno himself, as it was of Team players, the School, other coaches, his associate coaches, etc. His relationship with Pat Summit is covered.

If you love UCONN Women's basketball, you will love this book.
I couldn't put it down.

If you are a fan of UConn basketball, in particular, or women's basketball, in general, this is a very interesting book. Geno Auriemma talks about his childhood in Italy, how his background influences him today, his coaching philosophy and his time at Connecticut building a third-rate program into a national powerhouse. Only quibble - the book reads like a stream of consciousness narration from Geno (I'd guess he talked into a recorder for the book) and, as a result, the book can often jump from one thought to another and back within particular topics. Despite his frequent digressions, Geno is witty and well-spoken; a fun, easy read.

For the sake of total disclosure, I am an old UConn grad and have been a fan of the Women Huskies since the first broadcast on CPTV. Since moving south, I continue to watch all their games via the internet, national TV, or in person on occasion. This a must read for any Husky fan, and I think would be of interest to anyone who really watches the women's game. Understanding his background and how it shaped his values gives you some insight tnto the man you see on the sidelines. I think those who don't appreciate his unique talent as a coach are the same people who see him as arrogant and egotistical. I think if you are from Philly, NY or New England you get his sarcastic humor. when I finished this book, I felt like I had a better idea of what made him tick and what makes him such a perfectionist. Without taking away anything from what Pat Summit has done for the sport, the reality is that Geno is at the top of the mountain right now. Over the last two years, every sportscaster has said "There is UConn, and then there is everybody else". That's not a lucky coincidence. There are a lot of good players in the game, but Geno has the unique ability to put together teams who are more focused on team success than individual success. By the time you finished what is a pretty quick and enjoyable read, you'll have a much better sense of what makes the man what he is and a good sense of the type of player that would choose UConn. On a sidenote, I see the Pat Summit Coaches show sometimes. It is a typical straightforward boring coaches show. The Geno show is more of a fun to watch comedy eith domr good basketball information. I do have two friends who are ex-Tennessee players. Our discourse is friendly, but for the most part, They just don't get this guy in Rocky Top land. Get it! Read it! Enjoy!

Luigi "Geno" Auriemma has written an extremely heartfelt biography chronicling his life experiences, especially the years he has been coaching UConn's womens basketball team. This is one of those biographies you don't want to miss out on!

Geno is a straight shooter and one heck of a honest man. His genuine display of his emotions and thoughts throughout the book are a testament to his character. His loyalty to his wife, family, colleagues, players and fans is incredible!

The stories behind how he recruited Diana Taurasi and others are very enjoyable to read, as are the countless other stories he recalls over the years. "Geno" is an excellent book for anyone to read - you don't need to be a huge sports enthusiast (although I reckon it might make a slight difference) as this is a story of an Italian boy from Norristown who made it big through his strong work ethics and values.

Molto Grazie, Geno! You rock!

If you have ever had an opportunity to watch this man coach, you never would have expected the inside scoop you get in this book. I could not put this book down. This book is not only for those involved in athletics, although it helps to be able to relate to the competitiveness of sports, this book(this man) has life lessons for all of us...A must read....

You get some insite into college coaching and how Geno is as a person, but the story is not very compelling and the writing is average. Just finished Raise the Roof by Pat Summit and it is a much better read with more compelling information.

What a terrific book! Geno is the type of person you want to have watch over your daughters when they are so far from home. It is a book about life's lessons and reality, with terrific basketball stories thrown in. I could not put it down.

This is perhaps not a "rags to riches" story but certainly one of rags to fame, at least in the world of US collegiate athletics. It's the autobiography of Geno Auriemma, born (1954) in poverty in a village in the mountains near Naples, Italy, who emigrated to the US at age 7 and went on to become one of the most successful college basketball coaches in history. As this is written (3-22-10), he has compiled a winning percentage of over 85(713 wins, 122 losses) and has won six national women's championships in 25 seasons as head coach at the University of Connecticut ("UConn"). What is even more impressive is that UConn's women's team, in the four years before he arrived, had a rather dismal 36 wins and 74 losses, meaning he was truly an empire builder. So how did he do it?

There is probably no simple answer, but he suggests it has a lot to do with his search for perfection, his belief that he attempts to instill in his players that they can and should (must) strive each day to improve their performances, no matter how impressive they may be. He also allows that he is more of a "seat of the pants" than "detail oriented" coach, although suggesting that Chris Dailey (his top assistant and probably a big part of his success) takes care of the details.

We learn that recruiting is "the worst part of my job" (no real surprise) and that of all the players he's had that completed four years with him (i.e. survived), one hundred per cent have earned their bachelor's degrees (praiseworthy). He claims that in spite of his amazing record (only Pat Summitt of the University of Tennessee comes close or surpasses, and she's been at it about ten years longer than he), no one has ever offered him a men's coaching job (amazing). What we don't learn much about is how he locates those great players, scouts opponents, and prepares for games. (Perhaps he's reluctant to reveal everything since he presumably does not intend to retire any time soon?)

Coach Auriemma has lots of interesting and funny things to say about many of his players. His favorite is clearly Diana Taurasi, "the best player ever to come out of Connecticut". Of Swin Cash he says, "if [she] were a guy she'd be Walt Frazier." And while he admires Sue Bird, he does NOT say of her: "If she were a guy she'd be Bob Cousy." That's me talking, based on over fifty years of watching the game. Perhaps Geno is too young to have seen Cousy (of the 1950s Boston Celtics) and he probably couldn't watch the NBA in Italy, but I think Bird at UConn was the best all around team basketball player I've seen since Cousy. Rebecca Lobo is mentioned but probably doesn't get as much credit as she should for helping launch his amazing career.

Auriemma admits to being stubborn, wrong, and scarcastic in a humorous way. A little honesty never hurts! I think readers will find chapter 13 rather amusing. I did. It's about the relationship between Geno and Pat Summitt. Among other topics he talks about once referring to the Tennessee women's program as the "evil empire", the tempest this touched off, and what he actually meant by this.

Recommended for those who take college basketball seriously. The book is written a great deal in the present tense and with Geno's ever-present humor. And if you have any interest in basketball but have not watched his teams play, I suggest you do so.
4 1/2 stars
Tim Koerner March 2010
June 2010 update: make that 7 national championships!