Coaching Books

Michele knows how to warm the heart and lift the soul. She's a master of relevancy and practicality, while being an inspiration. Her essays always make me reflect on my life and how I can live the life I really want. She's a gifted writer and coach.

Ever read something and find yourself (wine glass in hand), shouting YES, THAT IS EXACTLY IT! That's the experience I had when reading Michele Woodward's essays about the dilemmas we all face, the excuses we all hide behind, and the ways in which we try not to look at them until we have to. Luckily, if we're reading the book, we're also attempting to do something that works a bit better. The genius of these essays is that they sneakily apply effective coaching principles in a way that makes you feel like you've just heard the answer from a close girlfriend over dinner.

So you pick up this book because there is something you want to change or something that you want to make better or something that you want to do and you just don't seem to get it done. And you would prefer a quick fix. Or at least an easy one, right? Well, NOT. MTW isn't going to offer you the easy way out. She's going to ask you take a good hard look at yourself. But she'll also help you laugh at what you see and then figure out a way to get yourself moving. There aren't a lot of complicated answers here, but some realistic straight talk about this thing we call living. Remember this is a woman who once said she aspired to write a book called "Thin Thighs in This Life Time." . This one is even better.

I really loved reading Michele Woodward's new book. Her essays give wonderful and humorous prespective about what is really important in today's world. Written with lots of common sense each essay made me think and reflect about my own life. Not tiresome or preachy which some of this genre can be. The Way of Transition essay especially hit home, saying that is always a new beginning after a dark period in one's life. Just a delightful book!

In the introduction Larry Ambrose said that he wrote this book as a reference book and did not intend it to be read from cover to cover. In reading the entire book, though, I found it to be very enlightening. I'm sure that I will refer to it as a reference book many times.

A Mentor's Companion is written in a conversational manner -- with Chapters 2-6 beginning with an on-going mentoring scenario that unfolds throughout the chapters. After each scenario, a short chapter follows that delves deeper into the mentoring attributes touched on in the story. Larry Ambrose then shows notepads for the mentor's use and practical checklists that are incredibly helpful for anyone preparing to serve as a mentor. These notepads and checklists, I am sure, are the reference materials to which Mr. Ambrose refers in the Introduction. Each chapter's title page also has an insightful quote that sets the mood for the chapter.

Three of the main points of this book are the following:

1. The goal of true mentoring is the development of the mentee -- not necessarily the solution of specific problems. Larry Ambrose gives detailed examples of how to accomplish this task throughout the book.

2. True mentoring is a partnership -- in which both parties learn, grow, and discover more about themselves and their potential.

3. Honest feedback is extremely important. A mnemonic device shared in this book with regard to feedback is S.E.A.T. -- feedback should be Specific, Explicit, Achievable, and Timely. Larry Ambrose gives general guidelines to assist the mentor in framing feedback properly to benefit the mentee's (and the mentor's) development.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking at the mentoring process -- especially if looking into becoming a first-time mentor.

Individuals have the opportunity to learn from the pioneers, Perrone-Ambrose Associates, through 'A Mentor's Companion'. This book is a must for all those concerned with creating a dignified and inclusive work environment.

The 'Companion' is a valuable , user friendly tool. I was sold on the book after the introduction, foreword and Chapters 1 and 2, and immediately ordered a copy for all the senior managers in our business unit.

A Mentor's Companion offers a solution to two of the greatest challenges faced by organizations today - the cultivating of future leaders and the on-going, rapid development of the workforce.

If you are a coach, of any kind, "selling" hours and wondering how you ever break out of the rat race (the only way to make more money is to work yet more hours), this book can change your life. For the better!

Since this book was written a couple of years ago, there are other books on creating multiple streams of income that provide more details on each of the streams. Janet Switzer's "Instant Income" and Robert Allen's "Multiple Streams of Internet Income" are two excellent books that come to mind. But, the strength of this book is the author's determination to help coaches discover a means of supporting their coaching mission. And author, Andrea Lee's work with Thomas Leonard, the father of personal coaching as we know it today, makes hers a voice to be listened to, by all coaches.

The logic of the strategy presented is irrefutable. Provide clients with multiple means to absorb your wisdom. And, by doing so, create scalable revenue opportunities that can supplement, if not overtake, chargeable hour revenue.

Side note: I enjoyed the unique writing style of short thoughtful blasts. Some may be put off by it (and one reviewer was), but it worked well for me.

I am especially glad I grabbed this book before a cross-country flight. I devoured the book on the 4+ hour ride and the punchy writing style unleashed within me a torrent of very worthwhile ideas. I landed with over 30 implementable actions written in the back of the book. I am confident these actions will advance my multiple endeavors. For that, I am most grateful to Andrea Lee. As she herself said late in the book "The act of reading fertilizes, moisturizes and exercises my brain, and my clients benefit immeasurably."

Andrea has compiled a lot of great ideas for coaches and other entrepreneurs to capitalize on what they know, based on a myriad of new ways to generate income and create passive income. At the heart of her writing is the idea that we don't need to limit ourselves by earning income solely based on billable hours...and the fact that we can package and re-package our information, processes, and expertise in many different ways for many different audiences. I also appreciated the notion that we can take a "coaching approach" when teaching our content no matter what media we select.

Although I appreciate the benefit of Andrea's ideas and inspiration, I did not like the layout of the book. For example, I didn't like her over-use of one- and two-sentence paragraphs, subpar highly pixelated graphics, and the "thrown together" look and feel of the book. In contrast, the content was fairly well organized and the book was a quick read, which kept me engaged enough to read it from cover to cover.

This book is a must have for all Coaches. The strategies in this book will help both new and seasoned Coaches connect with new clients. The different approaches and products discussed in this book are a win-win situation for both clients and coaches. These approaches will benefit the diverse needs of coaching clients too.

I loved this book! It was just what I needed, just when I needed it.

This book was a great wake-up call for me at a time when I was about to re-structure my business. It is too easy to get so wrapped up in your business and all you see everyday are the 'trees'. After reading this book I said "Hey look, a forest".

I have known the concept of multiple streams and the value of group coaching and I have seen the models in action. However, this book resonated with me and I found myself taking notes and journaling new ideas for products and services I will create and implement.

A 300 + page book can seem daunting when you are busy, but the tone and the style the book is written in allows you to sail through the book with ease.

If you are a Coach, you owe it to yourself to read this book!!

David Mason, Performance Development Coach
Author of Marketing Your Small Business for Big Profits

Neither of these words fully capture how great Eddie Robinson is... as a coach, father, or American. He is such a great role model for EVERYONE. He talks about wanting to make a difference in the lives of youth, but his story will make all types of people (hopefully) realize how fortunate they really are.. make them appreciate the country we live in, give them the strength to choose the high-road (choose to love the person that hurts you instead of getting mad or even). I can't even explain the feeling of respect and admiration I feel for this man.. he is so humble, so forgiving, so strong in his faith of people..

Eddie Robinson should be more well known than he is.

I'm a big fan of football, so of course i wanted to read, this book about Grambling's great coach. i'm a big fan of grambling except of course when they play Jackson state, or Alcorn. After reading the book, i found Eddie Robinson, to be a wonderful person who cared so much for his team, and his coaches. I felt bad for robinson when i read that a divison 1 school never even contacted him about a job, but what I liked best of all about this book, was he and his wife's Doris love for one another.

Eddie Robinson is truly one of the greatest pioneers in the history of athletics. The way he transformed a football program at a little known (if not unknown at the time) black college in the piney woods of north Louisiana, into a program of both national and international notoriety, is a true testament to his greatness. It is amazing to see what this man has overcome and how he has perservered throughout his 56-year coaching stint. With 408 victories under his belt, he is the all-time winningest coach in college football history at any level. He taught his players how to be champions both on and off the field. As a Grambling State University alumnus, and former Grambling Sports Broadcaster, I was fortunate to witness, first hand, what a class act Coach Robinson is. He transcends the word "committment". This autobiography takes you on a journey of overcoming obstacles on the road to success. I highly recommend this book to everyone, not just athletes, who want to understand what it means to perservere!

Eddie Robinson is a Pioneer for all of Sports.it's Amazing at all The Things He saw&Heard and yet He stayed Focused&Became one of The Greatest Coaches at any Level of Play.it's Beautiful How Doug Williams Came Back Too Coach Grambling State.MR.RObinson has Inspired alot OF Brothers.even thought The NFL Has a Long way Too Go With The Black QuarterBack Among Many Other Issues Because Of MR.RObinson A Doug WIlliams GOt A Chance the same Goes For STEVE AIR'MCNAIR.MR.ROBINSON Broke Down alot of Ground.A Real Stand Up MAN&WINNER.

A lot has been written about "personal and executive coaching", but this book really offers something new. This book is a must for coaches, psychotherapists who are entering the coaching field, trainers and counselors!
Dr. Auerbach has written a great manual packed full of ethical issues, coaching tools, coaching model, powerful coaching questions, letters of agreement to use with your coachees, etc.
I recommend reading it more than once. With each reading you learn something new that will help you to not only understand your clients better, but also get some guidance for your own life!

If you're a mental health professional, chances are you have adequate training in psychology to be an executive coach, but how about training and experience in OD and in business? these are necessry to be credible and effective in executive coaching. See a complete competency model on the website (...) NEW page.

Executive Coaching is hot. A number of people from various professional backgrounds provide personal and business coaching for managers and leaders. Dr. Auerbach has written a wonderfully comprehensive manual for mental health professionals who bring a unique background to this exciting discipline.

In a clear, concise and thoughtful fashion, Dr. Auerbach clarifies the essential differences between coaching and psychotherapy. Underlying, his philosophy of coaching is a focus on the client's values. He delineates a model of coaching that provides an excellent guide for the coaching process.

Dr. Auerbach discusses the legal and ethical issues involved in coaching that is extremely helpful to both beginning and seasoned coaches. He thoroughly explains how coaching is conducted on the telephone-a process likely to be unfamiliar to many therapists.

The book is "jam-packed" with specific practical techniques, how to incorporate assessment instruments, and illuminating coaching examples. The resource section includes invaluable samples of letters of agreement to use with coaching clients and powerful coaching questions.

Therapists desiring to enter the exciting world of coaching and seasoned coaching professionals, will find Dr. Auerbach's wise counsel a roadmap for their success.

To psychotherapists who are entering the coaching field: You must get this book. It is packed full of ethical issues you need to understand and will also get you started right away with necessary skills.

The subtitle of this treatise "The Complete Guide for Mental Health Professionals" is no misnomer. This book is complete. It takes you through the transition from your mental health background to the closely related field of coaching. It does this smoothly, through three well-written sections, ending in a crescendo to the very helpful Appendix.

The first section clearly lays out the differences between the fields (in approach and language), moves you through a very effective and comprehensive model of coaching (including a perfect New Client Questionnaire), to the ethical issues that you must know to make the transition a safe one. The ethics section and Dr. Auerbach's research with attorneys is worth twice the admission fee. For example, all sources researched agree that you need to keep your two businesses separate - no dual Web site advertising. You won't need to worry about losing your license after reading this section.

The second section covers techniques, processes, and the use of assessments, which will be familiar to most therapists; however, Dr. Auerbach does an excellent job of pointing out the subtle differences that are key to making you act and sound like a coach instead of a therapist.

The third section covers the major varieties of coaching, and can even help you assess which area you are best fit to work in or which you will be most passionate about.

The Appendix is very helpful, and includes samples of forms to use; including the above-mentioned New Client Questionnaire, a Coaching Agreement, and other helpful questions and questionnaires to help you get clients and to start those first few sessions.

I highly recommend this book to any mental health professional moving into this exciting field.

The 5 fundamentals of pitching discussed in this book are essential. I am glad I bought it.

With Tom Houses'instructions,you can't miss teaching youngsters the proper way of pitching a baseball.

Tom House has managed to condense the essentials of a good pitching delivery into a highly readable book. We use it for pitcher instruction because a picture is indeed worth a thousand words. The discussions dealing with conventional wisdom are also very, very interesting and will definitely light up any cocktail party in which baseball fans are present. This book is highly recommended when used in conjunction with other teaching materials such as Dick Mills DVDs et al.

If you were only to invest in only one book on pitching mechanics this would have to be it. It is a perfect balance of hi-tech computer based biomechanical research and utter simplicity. Rather than blind you with science, you get visual illustrations of what you need to do to achieve perfect mechanics. Each carefully chosen picture is worth a thousand words.

I have no higher praise of this book, which balances complexity with simplicity, and explodes countless pitching mechanic myths perpetuated like old wive's tales by countless generations of coaches.

I thought I had seen and heard it all when it comes to coaching ideas on pitching mechanics (including biomechanics-research based stuff from both America and Japan) but this book was simply a revelation in the way it condensed extraordinarily complex biomechanical concepts into little take-home nutshells of wisdom.

This one is a MUST!!!

Being a coach , it is a must have book! Great ideas, great tips, great insights.
It will change the way you look at the coaching profession.
Master Certified Coach and President of Dimension Coaching & Training

I am extremely pleased that the Authors of this book did such an awesome job of compiling there secrets and giving the reader actual steps to start creating action in their lives immediately. In the past I have seen books like this that over promised and underdelivered....this was quite the opposite. I found it easy to read and hard to put down at times....by taking copious notes while reading I have seen a remarkable jump in my energy and am enjoying many of the benefits that Mr. Macdonald promises in the introduction.

I am very impressed with the overall pinpointing each chapter has on subjects ranging from goal setting, eliminating willpower on your way to success.....to simple focus strategies and Leadership subjects that I will use as a resource for many presentations to come. There also plenty of information on eliminating blocks that stop peoples success and moving past dreaded procrastination. The subjects are too many to name here....there were truly no throw away topics at all. It was kind of like a cd that had no bad songs.

I would highly recommend The Power of Coaching to anyone that truly wants clear concise information on masterful coaching that gets right into the meat of the subject being adressed, and the recipe for its attainment. I loved it...I will be giving it away to many clients this year for sure.The Power of Coaching - Managing the TIME of Your LifeProvoking Your Brilliance!The Power of Coaching...The Secrets of AchievementThe Answer: Grow Any Business, Achieve Financial Freedom, and Live an Extraordinary LifeThe SecretGetting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

This book is a compilation of short stories from various leaders. Each author shares his or her thoughts on coaching others. Each is a unique perspective and can help anyone learn to engage others to achieve. This book is a very powerful resource for managers to help employees achieve great things. There are many different, proven methods of success laid out in this book.

This was exactly what I needed! Once I began reading The Power Of Coaching I felt like I was suddenly involved in one of the most effective "mastermind" sessions I may have ever witnessed! I can't remember a book that had me taking so many excellent notes to put into action.

Machen MacDonald has created an amazing collection of spot-on, effective ideas with list after list of action steps and breakthrough thinking from some of the most qualified people you can find! This book can help anyone understand the process, mindset, and methods to get out of overwhelm and into action!

I really love this book and I have already shared many of the concepts and ideas I found in it with my clients and family members... and I've only had the book for two weeks. It's that obvious once you begin reading it, that you are really holding a masterpiece of wisdom and some of the most creative solutions for whatever has been holding you back.

To keep all of this as practical and believable as possible I should share that for me it was about "doing"! -- I actually did many of the suggestions, and I wrote down several of the lists that are provided so I could have multiple exposures to these brilliant ideas, in essence I did the things Machen suggests and my conclusion is that he really got it right! Somebody "Hi Five" this man!(Am I showing my age?)

I believe that there is just no-way you could fail if you really "do" the things this book reveals! A passive reading won't do much because knowing it won't get it done, you've got to "do" it!

It's one of those all-to-rare collections of brilliant expert after expert all sharing from the heart and connecting on a very personal level for those of us "who are ready" to move into action. I hope you take this to the next step and dig-in to receive this solid information!

Also, one of the most amazing things is that this book is only 181 pages long. I read it so fast and got so many nuggets that I just had to share this review. This is exactly what we all hope for when we invest in a book,... That It's promise is delivered!

The Power Of Coaching is an impressive list of some the world's best expert coaches and leaders who don't hold back and try to make us buy all their programs to get to the good stuff. This book is full of the "good stuff" that I know - like me - you are really hoping for! Just do what it suggests and you're going to be as thrilled as I am. - "Now get outta here, give yourself this gift, and do something powerful with your life!"

This book explains several of what the author calls "power patterns" for building an effective offense. Nagle provides step-by-step diagrams and step-by-step instructions for running each of the patterns. One highlight is that the book includes patterns used to attack man-to-man defenses, zone defenses, and other patterns that can be used against both types of defenses, so there is something here for every coach, particularly the inexperienced. There are also chapters devoted to delay offenses, inbound plays, early offense (transition), and press break. The book exudes a cheerful confidence in all of these various patterns, in part because Nagle has successfully used these patterns in his coaching career.

I did find a few of the patterns to be rather complex for a high school team to execute. Many of the patterns require a lot of reading and reacting my screeners, cutters, and passers, requiring hours of intense instruction and repetition. Teams that are weak in basketball fundamentals may find these patterns difficult to execute. On the other hand, several patterns struck me as being effective scoring options, either as a stand-alone offense or if run as an occasional set play. Just as the patterns require a fundamentally-sound offensive team to execute them, these patterns will exploit defenses that lack proper technique and positioning. There is lots of screening and precise, controlled movements in these patterns, all calculated to exploit lapses in defensive positioning and concentration.

I deduct a star because the book could be improved with better organization of the material. To start, a better approach would have been to organize the book by the various defenses that each pattern is geared to attack. As the book is organized now, the reader flips from one chapter to the next, not knowing whether the next pattern to be explained will be one that attacks a man defense, an odd-front zone defense, an even-front zone defense, etc. I also found it annoying to have to read the explanation for a certain pattern when the diagram was actually on the next page over, so that I would have to continually flip back and forth to link the information. This book should have been printed on bigger pages, large enough to accomodate 3 or 4 large diagrams and accompanying next. At 186 total pages, I sometimes felt like I was reading a novel.

Nevertheless, these are minor quibbles. The book is solid.

I am a high school/college teacher in the school of education. This book was a valuable teaching tool for every student in my classes. Easy to read and understand, yet full of basketball offenses, drills, patterns, stories. An excellent basketball book for beginners as well as experienced coaches and players. I recommend this book for all ages, boys and girls alike, and anyone who wants to know more about the offensive strategies of basketball. Drills galore to make your practices the best ever. Tell a friend and buy this book!

Great book of basketball patterns. Excellent content. A basketball coaches dream.

This book contains everything a coach needs to know, from basic drills to coaching techniques to game situations to sound offensive basketball philosophy. Recommended for the novice coach all the way up to Phil Jackson of the Lakers! Easy reading with very understandable text, diagrams and philosophy behind the strategy. A "must read" for high school and college coaches alike. Coach Nagle writes like he must have coached - with tremendous passion for the game! After reading this book, I felt like I could coach an NCAA championship team! My only regret is that this coach/author did not write more books on basketball. A great gift for anyone associated with basketball on any level. As a life-long coach and parent, I highly recommend this book for men and women alike. I will be quite surprised if, after reading its contents, you don't come away as impressed as I was. Simply outstanding from cover to cover! Easily the best basketball coaching book on the market (and I've read them all). Superior! I gladly give Coach Nagle and his book "5 stars."

for those people who want to know more about the 3-4 defense, this is a great place to start. this book does a good job at explaining everything from coverages to different position requirements.

From a personal note this book has a lot of fond memories as it was one of the first football books I bought when I was in high school. We don't run the 3-4 but many of the fundamentals we teach were heavily influenced by Coach McDaniels and this book. This book has plenty of endorsements including Lou Holtz and Lavell Edwards, I don't know of any other 3-4 books so this at worst a great starting point. Hard to see how you could do any better. Thanks Coach McDaniels!

Coach McDaniels "Rocks with this one!" I grew up with Mike and I can tell you... There is no other person that thinks,loves,and adds to the game the way he does. Mike loves football and he shows it everyday. He is always thinking about the "next play." Coach McDaniels can better anyone, I know because; He did that for me. The man is brilliant, the book is wonderful. Thanks Mike, Huff

This book shows how to implement almost every phase of the Pro 3-4 into your existing defense. Topics include: Strategic Adjustments; Defensive Stance, Alignment, Responsibilities, and Techniques for all defensive positions; Backfield Coverages; Blitz Packages; Defending Against Specific Offenses; and Developing a Defensive Game Plan. Lots of diagrams. Excellent book for coaches at any level.

Many, many great concepts and ideas in this book have changed and confirmed lots of things I do with my teams. Very valuable!!

This book, as well as all books by this author, are excellent. They are obviously an good resource for its intended audience of coaches, but it is also useful for any leader. I consider, and recommend this book to others, as my bible for leadership. It is easy to read and understand. The concepts build logically and interact well with each other.

An excellent resource not only for coaches and those involved in sport activities but also for parents and educators. Janssen and Dale talk about the importance of team building and the real reasons most kids get involved in sports: to have fun and to have social opportunities, among many others. That is not to say that winning is unimportant but rather that it is only one aspect of involvement with sports. A must read for parents and educators who believe winning is the ONLY thing.

This is very good. Well written, easy to follow, and very practical applications for yourself and your team. Most of this stuff I am going to implement or had already implemented.

For any beginning coach, or coach that is struggling with reaching your players, you must have this book. If your team is underachieving, this book will help. The references to successful coaches and their experiences is really a positive.

The one funny about this book, is how much it refers to Gary Barnett in a positive light. This is kind of ironic based on what is happening to him right now...

Coaches should buy this book...