September 1, 2001
By interviewing more than 1,400 friends, coaches, teammates, rivals, and just about anyone else whose life was touched by Michael Jordan, Williams, a motivational speaker and the owner of the Orlando Magic, has amassed enough anecdotes to . . . well, write a book. The text covers what makes M. J. great--as a person, a role model, a leader, and, yes, a basketball player. What's refreshing here is that Jordan is portrayed as human like the rest of us, which means that if we were to apply our skills to our lives as Jordan has to his, we, too, could "be like Mike." Motivational quotes from such diverse figures as Rose Kennedy and Bertolt Brecht are scattered among the inspiring, often funny Jordan quips. Each chapter elaborates on aspects of Michael's success ("Focus, Passion & Energy") and includes introductory comments by Michael himself. What will allow this book to stand out among the myriad motivational titles out there? It's simple, entertaining, and commonsensical. And it's about Michael Jordan.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)