Customer Reviews

Values of the Game

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In this inspiring book, Bradley demonstrates the values that have helped shape him as a person, and enabled him to achieve excellence. The book is a colorful and creative collection of eye-catching basketball photos interlaced with chapters on values of the game.

In describing ideals that have helped him and other champions to succeed both on and off the court, he encourages us all to pursue excellence in our own lives- whatever our life circumstances may be.

He names ten core values that he has found meaningful in his development as a player and a person. They are: passion, discipline, selflessness, respect, perspective, courage, leadership, responsibility, resilience and imagination.

Bill Bradley has demonstrated here that he is truly a man of the people. He wants to encourage every American to celebrate the gifts, abilities and values that give them meaning and hope in their lives.

I highly recommend this book to everyone with the courage to reach beyond their grasp and strive for excellence in their lives. The pictures and stories are great, and the essays are even better. Pick it up today, and also, be sure to make your vote count in November- your opinion matters and deserves to be heard!

When I was 10, my father gave me a thin book written by John McPhee called, "A Sense of Where You Are," which was based on his New Yorker feature articles about college basketball's player of the year, Bill Bradley of Princeton. McPhee's title was based on Bradley's observation that an experienced and perceptive player should know where he is on the court at all times, and be able to know where his teammates are, and anticipate Where They Will Be, at all times. McPhee described teammates disappointed in themselves because Bradley would find them with a pass when they were just getting open, and before the teammate was even aware he had beaten his man and was ready for the ball. McPhee observed an exceptional young man, not just a ball player, who had a remarkable sense of where he was in life and where he was going. Bradley has never lost this quality.

Later, with the Knicks, Bradley sacrificed his individual game completely within the Knicks system. His specialties were instantaneous touch passes to teammates breaking to the basket, and moving without the ball to disrupt the opponent's defense and create an open shot.

Bradley is still "moving without the ball." He could have been senator for life from New Jersey, but gave up his seat voluntarily to study and prepare himself more (for the Presidency?) His new book provides basketball fans (and anyone else who appreciates physical excellence, mental discipline, and high moral character, beautifully illustrated and described) with a portrait of what the sport can be at its best, and a lesson about what success takes (and costs). His message connects on all levels, the visual, because of the magnificent collection of photographs, the intellectual, because of the powerful and effective prose (even the photo captions are eloquent), and emotional (especially for the basketball fans reliving the great achievements).

As in the book I received as a child, Bradley quotes the lesson he learned at youth camp from "Easy" Ed McCauley, otherwise famous as the answer to the trivia question, "Who did the Celtics trade to get Bill Russell?" McCauley, a great teacher who obviously worked hard to make it look so "easy," told the young Bradley to always practice, because someday he'll meet someone in competition with roughly equal abilities, and the better prepared will win.

I have a feeling Bradley is practicing right now for the year 2000. With the mess we have in Washington (as well as the NBA) right now, the values he describes are refreshing. I put down the book (a cover to cover read in less than 2 hours) full of hope.

VALUES OF THE GAME

There is complete silence in Madison Square Garden; suddenly "swish" Bradley leads the Knicks to another victory and the crowd is in complete pandemonium. Bill Bradley is no longer portrayed simply as a basketball player and a US Senator, he is now seen as a prolific writer. In his most recent book, Values of the Game, Bradley returns to the scene of his first career and is first great passion, basketball. Values of the Game is a wonderfully written book that is filled with some of Bradley's most intense personal reflections. Bradley revisits the basketball court with the fire of a competitor but, with the mind of a writer. Of course things have changed since Bradley's playing days, the shorts are longer and the salaries are higher but, what separates the winners form the losers remains very much the same. No collection of players no matter how good, can win unless a team is formed. No team can succeed unless they share certain values. Among these values that are displayed throughout the book are courage, resilience, discipline, respect and the most notable the pure love for the game. Bradley also discusses other qualities of the game such as the individual courage to risk the last-second shot, to face a hostile crowd, to say "I blew it." The responsibility to teammates, coaches and the fans in honoring the game. Values of the Games is also illustrated with dramatic photographs of players, coaches and archetypal games. Pictures range from legends such as Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, and Bob Cousy; through the brilliant Magic Johnson and Larry Bird years and the greatest player ever, Michael Jordan. Even if you are not a NBA or college basketball fan the book has references associated with other aspects of life. It is filled with life long lessons that doesn't necessarily deal with professional athletes but, things that mundane people can identify with. The quote "Fame, you learn, is like a rainstorm-it come-on fast and then goes just as quickly, often leaving behind a certain amount of destruction" refers to how one should have the right perspective on themselves. One must realize that in life sometimes you will be the hero but, other times you will be the scapegoat. Bradley lets the reader in on basketball's secrets, which turns out, extend to life beyond the hardwood court.

Joe Reed

The Values of the Game

By, Bill Bradley

The Values of the Game is very motivating. It is about what you get out of sports (specifically Basketball). The book talks about why you get these values, too. The values it talks about (each a chapter) passion, discipline, selflessness, and many more. It teaches people what is important in life. I think it is a spectacular book to learn from.

I really enjoy the book the values of the game, but some people wouldn't. Mostly basketball players would like it because it's about basketball. Also, I think in most cases it is geared for 18-50 year olds, but in some cases it may vary. Also, to understand it you must be someone who knows a tiny bit about present and retired famous basketball players. I think many people will like this book.

I own the paperback edition of this book and feel it is an excellent value. The book, made up of ten essays on such topics as "passion", "discipline", "responsibility", "resilience", and more, is a great gift for young and old alike. For the young it will teach them the tradition values of the game and the lessons we can take from it. For the old it reaffirms our belief system that this game of basketball is very special and can prepare you to deal with many of life's challenges. The book begins with an essay on passion. The pure pleasure, pure joy of basketball. Lets face it, there is something special for those of us who love the game. The squeak of the sneakers, the bounce of the ball, the swish of the net. It is something that keeps many of us playing in over thirty (over forty?) pick up leagues or taking backyard jump shots well beyond our prime. And as you work on your game, work to get better, your practice builds confidence, and confidence builds success. What a valuable lesson! As Bradley points out "winning was fun, but so was the struggle to improve. This is one of the lessons you learned from the game:basketball was a clear example of virtue rewarded."

I think this book is very good for people or children who like to play basketball. The book is written by Bill Bradley, who is one of the most famous players and is forwarded by Phil Jackson, who is one of the best choaches in the NBA today. The book does not only cover the surface of the game of basketball; the book also breaks down into few critical attitudes toward the game of basketball. The book starts by letting the readers know how passion is required in a player in order to play a good game of basketball. Then bhe book covers discipline, selflessness, respect, perspective, courage, leadership, responsibility, resilience, and imagination, which are all very important factors and attitudes that a player requires. Another good thing about this book is that, in each one of th ecritical attitudes that the book covers, it provides the readers a few well-known NBA players as examples, both current players and legends. And the author also puts in his own experience, so that the readers can understand deep down the meaning of the point the book points out. Overall, I think the book is very good for people who really likes to play basketball. It tells the reader that the game of basketball is not only scoring, there're a few very important factors which affect whom or which team gets the victory.

All the positive things the other reviewers have said are true. This is an inspiring book filled with positive values, and it gives valuable insight into how Bill Bradley thinks and feels.

But the book is extremely brief -- it's about a half-hour read. It would make a terrific magazine article, and such an article alone would be worth the cost of the magazine. But there just aren't enough words there to be worth the cost of a book, even at a discount price.

I loved this book because it really made you think about respect, to the other players, to the coaches, and to everyone involved. Any Basketball fan would enjoy this book because it really shows the values of Basketball. Besides respect, it also has chapters about conditioning, passion etc. I think these chapters are important too, but respect is the key. I gave this book 4 stars.

Whether you work primarily with individuals or with organizations, Bill Bradley's new book can be a great source of inspiration and enlightenment. Ostensibly this book is merely a set of ten essays on the values the former US Senator and Rhodes Scholar lived by when he was a star professional basketball player for the New York Knicks. However, Values of the Game can be read on another level: as an allegory on how one can balance ethics and the desire for achievement.

Bradley's ten values are the following: Passion, Discipline, Selflessness, Respect, Perspective, Courage, Leadership, Responsibility, Resilience, and Imagination. Each of these is presented through a series of personal anecdotes from Bradley's career on the court, surrounded by terrific photos of the sport's many legendary super-stars, both male and female.

One of the most moving photos is in the "Courage" essay, in which Michael Jordan is pictured at the end of the fifth game of the 1997 NBA Finals, when he led his team to victory despite playing with a high fever. Bradley weaves his text around this theme by telling stories of how players--including himself--learned perseverance and inner calm in the face of tremendous pressure and challenge.

Just having completed a year of study and reflection at Stanford's prestigious think tank, the Hoover Institute, Bradley's comments on leadership are eloquent and quotable: "Leadership means getting people to think, believe, see, and do what they might not have without you. It means possessing the vision to set the right goal and the decisiveness to pursue it single-mindedly. It means being aware of the fears and anxieties felt by those you lead even as you urge them to overcome those fears. It can appear in a speech before hundreds of people or in a dialogue with one other person--or simply by example."

Although Bradley has been mentioned as a potential presidential candidate in the 2000 election, he steers clear of partisanship and political grandstanding. Instead, we find a book that delivers a calm, consistent message on values through the lenses of an assertive, convincing and sensitive man. As such it can be valuable tool for one's self-development as well as for coaching others. Positive but not overly idealistic, packaged in a beautiful format, Values of the Game provides practical tools for right living.

I've long been a Bill Bradley fan . . . his talent on the
basketball court always impressed me, in large part because
he seemed to have to work so much harder than many
other players . . . then when he entered the political
arena, I continued to follow his career with interest . . . my
only regret is that he never got past the Senate . . . I still
think he would have made a fine President.

Hearing his book, VALUES OF THE GAME, impressed me
even more . . . it is not a standard spots autobiography, but
rather a collection of essays by Bradley that deal with such topics as
passion, discipline, responsibility, and resilience . . . he shows
how these all became key parts of his life, citing examples
of such greats as Cousy, Chamberlian, Iverson, and Pippen . . . I
got a particular kick out of what he said about Dennis Rodman: he
admired his rebounding tenacity, but noted that Rodman
"isn't everybody's cup of tea" because of his behavior.

This would be a great gift for any basketball fan, young or
old . . . nevertheless, I'd recommend giving the book rather than the
audio version that I heard . . . though the narration by John Randolph
Jones was fine, I would have much preferred Bradley doing the reading
himself.