Synopses & Reviews
Job loss. Foreclosure. Relationship woes. Health issues. Dire financial straits. If recent history has taught us anything, it's that nobody goes through life unscathed -- no matter how rich, how smart, how talented, or how fortunate they may be. White collar, blue collar, or no collar, there is an undeniable commonality to the raw emotion that strikes people when they are knocked down.
University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari has seen the bottom - from two very distinct and very public setbacks -- but he has learned that bad situations are only permanent if you allow them to be. Fired from his job as head coach 20 games into his third season with the NBA's New Jersey Nets in 1999, Calipari was publicly humiliated and emotionally devastated. But Calipari never allowed the negative to overcome him or those around him, and he began plotting a course for his first bounce back. It was a journey that took him to the University of Memphis and, in 2008, to the NCAA's marquee event, the men's basketball Final Four.
When that trip culminated in a crushing, overtime defeat in the title game, Calipari began to bounce back again -- this time armed with the knowledge and fortitude he gained in overcoming the Nets' firing. One year after that defeat, from where he watched his team lose a nine-point lead with two minutes and twelve seconds left in regulation, Calipari was tabbed as the head coach of college basketball's all-time winningest program, the University of Kentucky Wildcats. In ten years, he went from his lowest low to landing his dream job at a dream program.
What Coach Cal -- as players, peers, and fans affectionately call him -- learned from his experiences was the importance of having the right attitude when dealing with life's major impediments: with every hard knock comes an occasion to reevaluate and reinvent. Now Coach Cal asks that you join his team of Bounce Backers and allow him the privilege of coaching you through what may, at times, seem to be an insurmountable challenge. With a combination of tough love and understanding, Coach Cal takes you under his wing in much the same fashion he guides the young men who play for him. By becoming an active participant in your own resurrection -- through practice exercises and tips from Coach Cal and his deep bench of highly successful people who have survived their own bounce backs -- you too will gain the tools and insight to understand that it's never a matter of how far you have fallen, but instead it's about how high you bounce back.
Review
"Whether in sports or in life, you have to know how to bounce back. In this book, Coach Cal gives you a blueprint for overcoming life's setbacks." -- 2008-09 NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Review
"If you don't have to bounce back from a perceived failure at some time in your life, you lie about other things too! Given today's economic times, we're all bouncing back in some way. Let Coach Calipari guide you through your bounce back. I'm a big Coach Cal fan and this is a must-read." -- Ken Blanchard, bestselling author of The One Minute Manager
Review
"This book provides valuable honesty, perspective, and an empowered plan of action for not if, but when, hard times hit. None of us, even those at the very top of our fields who seem golden, are immune from shattering life experiences. Coach Calipari, pulling unflinchingly from his own personal pain, shares critical truths. Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional, bouncing back is what winners like Coach Calipari do." -- Ashley Judd, Human Rights Activist, Actor, Kentucky fan
Review
"Perhaps the ultimate challenge in sports is how you bounce back when you've been knocked down. John Calipari might be the best ever at responding to such adversity." -- Bob Rotella, bestselling author of Life Is Not A Game of Perfect
Review
"When the ball doesn't bounce your way, you have to find a way to Bounce Back. Coach Calipari provides you with the playbook to rebound from life's many setbacks. -- Harvey Mackay, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive
Review
"The essence of Coach Cal's motivational speech that the Yahoo! sales force was fortunate enough to hear in person, is echoed and amplified in this book. Here, the reader has personal access to Coach's tips, real life experiences and his seemingly bottomless reserve of enthusiasm and optimistic determination." -- Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz
Review
PRAISE FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER TOUGHNESS
“Honest and inspiring, Jay Bilas explores the many tenets of toughness and shares personal stories and interviews with some of the best athletes and coaches. Toughness is critical to gaining an edge in sports and life, and this book provides lessons to help you succeed from a well-respected expert.”—Jim Nantz
“If you want the true definition of toughness as it relates to sports and life, this is a must read. Jay Bilas has acquired a wealth of knowledge from his basketball career as a player, coach, and analyst. Jays descriptions and illustrations are ‘Awesome, Baby with a capital A!”—Dick Vitale, ESPN
“Jay Bilas gives meaning to one of the most overused words in sports. Bilas explains the complexity of acquiring and utilizing all aspects of toughness, be it mental or physical, both on and off the playing field. It is a great description of a concept and value we all need in our lives.”—Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun
“Tough it out. Be tough. Stay tough. How often do we hear that in sports and life? Its the go-to answer for any problem. We all want toughness. Jay Bilas take this intangible concept and gives it concrete meaning. The inspiring and humbling stories of truly tough people are written artfully and show that being tough isnt just a catchall cliché. Its a transforming personal value. Jay does a brilliant job illustrating why toughness is a quality I want to cultivate in my life every day.”—Rece Davis, ESPN
“Make sure you are holding a yellow highlighter when you read this book. There is an incredible amount of wit and wisdom in these pages, thanks to the dedication, hard work, and—yes—toughness Jay Bilas demonstrated by talking to all of these people. Reading this book wont make you tough, but it will teach you how to get there.”—Seth Davis, Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports
Synopsis
The current head coach of the University of Kentucky's men's basketball team and a veteran of nearly 20 college seasons at the University of Memphis and the University of Massachusetts writes about turning life's setbacks into successes.
Synopsis
John Calipari is the current head coach of the University of Kentucky's men's basketball and a veteran of nearly 20 college seasons at the University of Memphis and the University of Massachusetts. Widely regarded as one of the greatest program builders in all of college basketball, Calipari's teams have earned 10 conference titles, 11 NCAA Tournament berths and two Final Fours. He received the Naismith National Coach of the Year Award for the 1995-1996 and 2007-2008 seasons, as well as the Sports Illustrated National Coach of the Year honor for 2008-09. A highly sought-after motivational speaker, Calipari and his wife, Ellen, have three children, Erin, Megan and Bradley.
David Scott is the former senior writer and editor at SPORT magazine. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated for Kids, the Boston Globe Magazine, Men's Fitness and FHM. Scott was recognized by The Best American Sports Writing 2000 for ?One in a Million: The Tim Bishop Story.? He first worked with Coach Calipari while an undergraduate at the University of Massachusetts. He lives in Hull, Massachusetts.
Synopsis
Winning advice on how to turn life’s setbacks into successes from John Calipari, the legendary basketball coach and powerful motivational speaker who has experienced more than his share of both.
I want readers to know they are not alone. People get fired every day. I can give guidance in negotiating those troubling times and so can the people I enlisted to help me with this book."
When John Calipari was fired as head coach of the New Jersey Nets in 1999, just twenty games into his third season, he decided to face his humbling experience head on. Rather than hide from the public eye, he brushed himself off and climbed back on his horse, resurrecting his career in short order. Bounce Back shows readers how they can stay positive, stay focused, and reach new heights of success—no matter how grim their situation might seem. Emphasizing the power of a good attitude, Calipari offers hands-on advice about how to turn unexpected disappointments into exciting new opportunities. In addition to his own experiences, good and bad, he draws on those of other prominent figures who have had to make comebacks, among them management guru Ken Blanchard and basketball Hall of Famer Larry Brown.
John Calipari is renowned for inspiring his teams not just to win but also to become better people along the way. As galvanizing a coach in the game of life as he is on the hardwood, Calipari’s Bounce Back proves that success has little to do with luck and everything to do with hard work, perseverance, hope, and a strong, positive attitude.
Synopsis
If anyone knows tough, its Jay Bilas. A four-year starter at Duke, he learned a strong work ethic under Coach Mike Krzyzewski. After playing professionally overseas, he returned to Duke, where he served as Krzyzewskis assistant coach for three seasons, helping to guide the Blue Devils to two national championships. He has since become one of basketballs most recognizable faces through his insightful analysis on ESPNs
SportsCenter and
College GameDay.
Through his ups and downs on and off the court, Bilas learned the true meaning of toughness from coaches, teammates, and colleagues. Now, in Toughness, he examines this misunderstoodyet vitalattribute and how it contributes to winning in sports and in life. Featuring never-before-heard stories and personal philosophies on toughness from top players and coaches, including Coach K, Bob Knight, Grant Hill, Mia Hamm, Jon Gruden, Tom Izzo, Roy Williams, Bill Self, Curtis Strange, and many othersBilas redefines what it takes to succeed.
About the Author
John Calipari is the current head coach of the University of Kentucky’s men's basketball and a veteran of nearly 20 college seasons at the University of Memphis and the University of Massachusetts. Widely regarded as one of the greatest program builders in all of college basketball, Calipari's teams have earned 11 conference titles, 12 NCAA Tournament berths and two Final Fours. Of his past three point guards, two have been NBA Rookie of the Year and the third, John Wall, was Washington’s No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. He received the Naismith National Coach of the Year Award for the 1995-1996 and 2007-2008 seasons, as well as the
Sports Illustrated National Coach of the Year honor for 2008-09.
Calipari’s first season in The Bluegrass State saw a complete rejuvenation of the program that had fallen from its perch atop college basketball. With the nation’s best freshman class entering for 2010-1