Customer Reviews

Success Is a Choice

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Did you know Rick Pitino beat up the starting point guard while he was at UMass in practice? A few weeks later, he got into a fight with the backup point guard and thought, "Now that these two guys are out of the way, I'll be a starter."

His coach suspended him a few moments later.

Such is an example from Pitino's guide to success. He's honest and shows us a glimpse of what exactly goes on in that tenacious mind of his. His methods are similar to most, but his examples and life lessons are quite intriguing, including how he was forced to take a step back after the death of one of his children while he was coaching Providence. Pitino is selling no gimmicks. He's offering a taste of what it was that made him successful, and upon reading this book, you'll see how he scarcely took no for an answer and outworked everyone else while you ask yourself, "Success might be a choice, but it will cost me greatly." Once at the top, he stresses a changing in methodology in an effort to keep ahead of those who would otherwise mimic your success. He also hones in on the importance of communication and the ability to admit failure and move on.

Perhaps more than any other point was the idea of not embracing success. Pitino says this happens to far too many individuals upon realization of their goals, and they then tend to loaf and take it easy.

I enjoyed Pitino's book and have employed a few steps of what he has to say. His views on time management, organization, communication, and decisiveness make for worthwhile reading.

Rick Pitino is a coaching legend in basketball. He led the University of Kentucky Wildcats to an NCAA championship in 1996 and he has the distinction of being the only coach in college history to take three different schools to the Final Four in playoff competition: Providence, Kentucky, and Louisville. He has also served as head coach of the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics in the NBA where he helped to rebuild the programs at these two professional basketball franchises.

Pitino wrote this book in 1997, following the national championship season with the University of Kentucky Wildcats. He wrote this as a self- help guide intended to help individuals overachieve and reach levels of success they never thought imaginable. He lays out his plan in a ten step process, emphasizing the fundamentals that must be in place if one has any hope of achieving lofty goals.

Most of what Pitino talks about in this guide is common sense and it's the type of motivational material we have all heard countless times before. We all know, for instance, that a positive attitude and sound communication skills are critical on the path to success. We also know that persistence and learning from mistakes are important components of success and that anyone who fails in these two endeavors isn't likely to make it very far.

Self- help and motivational guides are usually very dry and ordinary, but while some of Pitino's words certainly fall under this designation, other things he advises are more unique and offer a fresh perspective. I haven't read a large number of self- help guides, but certain parts of Pitino's advice do manage to step outside the box. One thing that stands out the more than any others is Pitino's advice (warning is more like it) not to readily embrace success. When I first read this, I wasn't sure what he was talking about and it seemed very nonsensical. But after reading more, I can understand where Pitino is coming from. What he is talking about is the tendency of successful people to become very lax once they reach a goal. We have seen it happen many times before- both in business and in sports competition- where someone reaches the goal he/she set for himself/herself and then decides to step back, take it easy, and bask in the limelight. Pitino feels that "embracing success" is the greatest poison of all because if one does this, he/she will eventually be trampled over by others who have decided to continuously learn and who are striving to overtake those who are currently on top. This is good advice and it makes sense when you read it. But it is surprising how many people adopt this contented attitude and end up flat on their faces a short time after their goal has been achieved.

Another piece of advice I like in this guide is the importance of continuous improvement. This stems from the advice about embracing success and it takes it a step further by recommending that we constantly strive to better ourselves regardless of what we have currently achieved. Pitino feels that change is inevitable and it must be embraced if one expects to continue to improve and achieve goals. What worked last year likely will not work anymore because the methods that led to previous success are already known and are likely to be emulated by aggressive individuals who want the same taste of victory. Pitino parallels this with his coaching career, showing how other coaches quickly discover what makes another coach successful and proceed to imitate the winning coach's strategy. Thus, to continue to succeed, new methods must be constantly sought after and embraced.

Another thing I like about this book is the way Pitino stresses hard work as the main foundation of success. Like Pitino says, too many people nowadays are looking for that "quick fix" in life. They want to reach the goals they set overnight, without working for them and without any plan of action in place. Rarely does this type of achievement become reality, and Pitino is correct when he emphasizes how critical it is to work hard toward a goal. The one in a million chance of becoming successful in a couple of days or weeks is too rare to worry about. Just work hard, as persistently as possible, and the rewards will follow over time. Pitino's own success in coaching came about this way, and it can work for anyone, regardless of profession.

Speaking of coaching, Pitino makes mention of his coaching success throughout this book, and this is to be expected. Basketball coaching is, after all, where Pitino has achieved his greatest deal of personal success. But Pitino is quick to point out that what works for him on the basketball court can also apply to business and other professions. These steps toward success- sound communication, positive attitude, persistence, adapting to change, etc.- are universal and following them can help lead any person toward greater personal achievement.

Each chapter in this book is easy to read in follow. And each one ends with a quick summary of the key points discussed for easy reference. At the beginning of each chapter is a short piece written by someone who has been influenced by Rick Pitino in one way or another- either through working with him as an assistant coach or by playing under him as a member of one of his teams. Some of the contributors to these intros include Jim O'Brien, Glenn Consor, Bernadette Locke- Mattox, Donnie Brown, and others.

I have read several self- help type books in the past and have found most of them to be rather monotonous and common- sense oriented. Is Pitino's book any different? In many ways, it does contain common sense advice but in other ways, it sheds some new light on the attitudes and practices necessary to reach the highest levels of one's profession. It doesn't get unrealistic like other self- help guides. It maintains an element of practicality and realism as it discusses ways to reach for the stars. And it does this while continuing to emphasize the importance of hard work and taking incremental steps toward the highest goals.

Reaching important goals and overachieving in life are two areas where basketball coach Rick Pitino has excelled beyond the level of most of the competitors in his field. Even if you don't have an interest in coaching sports, the advice given in this guide can come in handy. It can apply to anyone in any profession and while the book may be several years old now, the advice it gives is timeless. It shows how you, the average Joe or Jane, can reach your personal and professional goals and outperform the competition. All it takes is discipline and determination to set you on the path toward greater success.

I read this book about 6 months ago and saw it again here on Amazon. I will give credit to Pitino for giving some no-nonsense good advice and some very interesting anecdotes, but he says them over and over again without really getting into much detail. In a couple chapters I found the EXACT same paragraph written twice. It looked like he had cut & pasted from a previous chapter. He also gives little detail about what he says. For example, he says we need to learn how to get in "the zone" (a term used by basketball players which refers to when an average player plays like an All-American without any effort) more often. NO KIDDING RICK! Players have tried a million different ways to get into the zone. It's not that simple. If you want a self help program, get Anthony Robbins' Personal Power II. It's second to none.

Rick Pitino is a genius at getting the maximum effectiveness from people regardless of obstacles. Having his exact philosophies on my home bookshelf is a joy and provides instant motivation on days where I feel lazy, unmotivated or unfocused. Everyone occassionally needs a jump start and Coach Pitino is a walking kick in the butt. But what's important is that he conveys the "Why's" of his messages, meaning that there is purpose to his ideas and that is what makes you remember each step because they really do provide the framework for deserving success. Lots of people like to think they know everything it takes to be truly successful, but ironically very few of us actually are. This honest, gut-checking book will definitely be a constant reminder and functional compass to make sure any reader is pointed in the right direction. I can't recommend it highly enough. Now I'm going out to get the CD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everything he says in the book makes sense.
The most enjoyable part was the real life examples that make you feel that anything he says is possible.
Like all books you should use the "shopping cart" method knowing you won't agree with everything and that is ok. The stuff you don't like don't put in your "shopping" cart but leave it. The stuff you do like, take it with you and apply it.
Book is well organized and easy to read. I'm glad my boss recommended it to me and I'm the farthest thing from a sports fan and still enjoyed it very much.

I've heard the man speak, and he's got style.... It clearly comes through in his book, as well....

The ONLY flaw in the book, I feel (hence the 4-star rating), is the collection of testimonial letters that follow each chapter... Not only are they unnecessary, they dilute the message Pitino is trying to deliver by making him seem in desperate need of a good ego massage....

I'm scratching my head wondering whose idea it was to put them in (was there some friendly arm twisting going on, perhaps?).... And why??.....

The book itself, though, was a good effort and does make an enjoyable read....

The age old ideology that our success and happiness ultimately depends on what we think, while obviously nothing that we haven't heard before, is masterfully explained by Coach Pitino in this highly motivational book. The book is full of sound principles that can be used in any walk of life. While the underlying theme that success is a choice is simplistic and easily understandable, actually choosing a positive attitude in your everyday life is one of those things that is easier said than done, and the inspirational stories that Pitino tells from his experiences in the book are fuel for anyone's motivational fire and help make choosing and maintaining the positive attitude that is necessary for success an easier choice to make. I would rate this book right up there with the best self-help books of all time like those by Dale Carnegie and Stephen Covey.

Rick Pitino's book on how to overachieve in the business world is nothing that anybody with any common sense hasn't heard before. The book was written because Pitino is trying to tell his story of his basketball career. He will make a germane point with the first paragraph at the beginning of the chapter, and then will belabor the simple point into 20 pages. This is a good book to read, buy you don't need to read the whole thing, you need to read the first few points of the chapter, where Pitino makes his point, and the summary of the main points at the end of the chapter, and you will learn just as much as somebody who read the whole book. It is a decent piece of literature, but combined with a biography of Pitino's career makes the entire work way to redundant.

What does this book have what Phil Jackson's and Pat Riley's don't have? Talent, just unspoiled talent. This book deals with the basics, the players who are not stars yet but have the potential to emerge to one. Besides that, it deals with business and not only sports. Especially useful as many of the readers earn their money in business, not in sports.

Pitino's gameplan is simple and pure. When you read about it you can instantly apply it to a situation near your work or at home. It also drives you in a motivational way and sucks you into a story teaching about succes, not bragging about it.

Definitly the best book written by a coach when you're still in the minor leagues yourself.

I have read this book over and over at tough times. So simple, logical, basic and easy to read. It's very good.