Description

Isiah Thomas has succeeded at every level of his career. Now, in The Fundamentals, Coach Thomas offers the most important life fundamentals he’s identified in his own journey; eight principles that will drive you to higher peaks in your life and career. Coach Thomas reveals how you can acquire the focus and commitment it takes to be a champion. The Fundamentals shows you how to be a leader of integrity, courage, and generosity, and how to act based on what you believe in so that you can achieve your life’s mission.Through it all, Coach Thomas shares stories from his life on and off the court that illustrate the strategies that allowed him to see beyond his circumstances to his possibilities.Here are hard-earned, field-tested, and easy to grasp fundamentals that will get you off the bench and into the trenches.From Publishers WeeklyA former Detroit Pistons star and the current head coach of the Indiana Pacers, Thomas has a classic success story; he shares it here along with his “fundamentals” principles designed to instruct (and inspire) readers to achieve both personal and economic goals. “I doubt that I would have had the successes I’ve had in life if it weren’t for the survival lessons I learned on the West Side,” Thomas writes, describing his early years as the youngest of nine children growing up in a Chicago ghetto. “When I go back to my old neighborhood, whether in my mind or in person, even my worst experiences are sources of strength and inspiration.” Thomas’s successes aren’t just on the basketball court; an investment holdings company and a foundation supporting educational and recreational activities for disadvantaged kids both bear his name. With its easy, colloquial tone, this volume is part autobiography and part advice book; vignettes from Thomas’s life are interspersed with the lessons they can teach. The eight primary fundamentals serve as the names of chapters; at the end of each, Thomas lists more detailed “fundamental points.” Thus, the “Go Deeper for Commitment” fundamental is illustrated by Thomas’s analysis of his and other basketball players’ strengths as well as closing points like “Reject self-satisfaction, but trust in the self-confidence that comes with inner strength and a fearless commitment to your goals.” The advice isn’t revolutionary, nor is it especially focused on business success; still, this serves as a solid motivational tome. (Nov.)Forecast: Sales should be solid, particularly among African-American readers and Indiana residents, though not exceptional given the number of similar books by sports figures published over the past few months. The publisher has planned a large marketing and publicity campaign.