By Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty
Ranking: 
Written by former Chicago Bulls' coach Phil Jackson, this book could have been called
Zen and the art of basketball coaching. The book isn't nearly as
biographical as it is philosophical. Jackson tells of his spiritual journey,
starting with his Pentecostal upbringing and his exploration into Zen Buddhism and
religious beliefs of Native Americans. It's not really Jackson's beliefs on eternal
salvation, but rather the lessons from the differing religions that can be applied to
basketball coaching. He explains a concept and how it was applied and his life and
in his coaching philosophies. Sometimes, he uses stories and sayings he's pulled
from the differing ideologies.
He tells how he tried to get "Jordan and the Jordanaires" to become a team and he got them to buy into his philosophies, as well as the difficulties he's had in dealing with different members of the team, from Stacey King to Dennis Rodman to Michael Jordan. It's one of the better books I've read by a coach.
Introspection: 5
Insight: 5
History: 1993-96 with some reference to mid 60s-late 70s
Readability: 3
Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior. Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehaney. Hyperion. 1995.
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