Reach for the Summit was an easy read. My goal was to read the book for its explanation of the 12 disciplines which are used for all activities in life, not just for basketball. There were more examples of the disciplins than philosophy. I am sure if one is passonate about basketball they will get more out of it than I did. Disciplines were common sense. Nothing new, but the examples were interesting enough. I thought enough of it to give it to my 14 year son to read. I believe he will get more out of it than I did, simply because of his love of sports. He will benefit from seeing the coach's side of view. Good enough to read through once.

YES, I GAVE IT ONLY 2 STARS! I have read alot of motivational books in my life time but this one leaves you empty. Patt Summitt does not give a "one-size fits all" approach to obtaining Life's goals as she suggest. Pat Summitt gives these long drawn out stories of her coaching experience and players experience then, at the very end, ties it to a generic principle of leadership that has been rehash by hundred of other motivational book writers. I'm not hating on her leadership or abilities. She has proven herself a dynamic coach. If you're a HS/college couch of any sport then this is the book for you! but for the rest of us her approaches to leadership do not necessarily translates to pearls of wisdom.

The book Reach for the Summit, by Pat Summit, is one of my all time favorite books. Pat shares some of her most intimate and personal struggles and she shows how she got to the top. Pat Summit is the most winningest coah is the history of the WNCAA, she even has a basketball statium named after her, The Summit.

In the book Pat describes how to make it in life and how to strive to be the best on the baketball floor and in every day struggles. The reason why I like this book so much is because I can feel comfertable taking advice from the head coah of the Tennessee Lady Vols. There are two different people in the world in my oppinion, the people who look up to Pat as a role model, and the peopl who disagree with her standards, but one thing is for certain you have to give credit to the woman who basicaly put womens college basketball on the map.

No one basketball coach in the history of the game -- man or woman -- has won more games or been more successful than Pat Head Summitt.

And whether you happen to like her -- or not -- you just have to give this home-grown Tennessee gal her due.

Published in 1998 and written in conjunction with renowned sportswriter Sally Jenkins, this book chronicles Summitt's personal recipe for success, as described in the subtitle as "The Definitive Dozen System for Succeeding at Whatever You Do."

Today, seven years later, I seriously doubt if Summitt has altered her recipe one bit.

The Summitt system applies not only to basketball, or to coaches, but to anyone interested in reaching higher, to succeeding, or just plain winning.

I recently took a graduate level project management leadership class, which included Myers-Briggs and Kiersey personality typing. I happened to belong to the ESTJ type, as does Coach Summitt, which made her particularly interesting to me.

I am a coach myself, and a basketball fan, though not necessarily of Tennessee, which can best be described as the New York Yankees of women's college basketball. I follow the Stanford Cardinal, who enjoy a particularly healthy rivalry with the Lady Vols, and have watched Coach Summitt pace the sidelines up close and personal. A few years ago I had the pleasure of hearing her speak at a local bookstore here in California, thousands of miles from her home turf, and couldn't help but walk away impressed.

And when I'm not cursing Summitt, I'm loving her. Who can't? A master motivator, tactician and self-confessed workaholic, there's not a Fortune 500 CEO alive who couldn't learn a thing or two from her competitive spirit, winning methodology and ethical excellence.

She not only talks the talk, she walks the walk, so whatever you do don't get in her way. But if you do, when the final horn sounds, she'll be the first to shake your hand and buy the first round. She honors the game with every breath she takes.

You can easily read this book in a day, but its message will last a lifetime.

Play hard, have fun.

I enjoyed this book because Pat is definetely old school when she comes to her coaching and managing. I think as America has become a rich country, hard driving individuals like Pat and her parents have become downgraded as more people opt for the human relations style management. Pat proves that the hard driven type management is still very effective in motivating people to their best. In this book, Pat describes both her personal and professional experiences and how that has changed her to the coach she is today. Nothing beats success, and Pat's championships prove her way can make results.
This book is a surprisely good read on leadership and managing. It is applicable to both sports and business. The personal and professional stories prove that Pat's way is still effective in today's world.