100 Best Sports Biography Books of All Time (Updated for 2026)

1

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

Phil Knight

5.0

In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.

In 1962, fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed $50 from his father and created a company with a simple mission: import high-q

Recommended by Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Andre Agassi, and 39 others.

Bill Gates

CEO/Microsoft

This memoir, by the co-founder of Nike, is a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like: messy, precarious, and riddled with mistakes. I’ve met Knight a few times over the years. He’s super nice, but he’s also quiet and difficult to get to know. Here Knight opens up in a way few CEOs are willing to do. I don’t think Knight sets out to teach the reader anything. Instead, he accomplishes something better. He tells his story as honestly as he can. It’s an amazing tale. [source]

Warren Buffett

CEO/Berkshire Hathaway

The best book I read last year. Phil is... a gifted storyteller. [source]

Andre Agassi

Founder/ College Preparatory Academy

I've known Phil Knight since I was a kid, but I didn't really know him until I opened this beautiful, startling, intimate book. And the same goes for Nike. I've worn the gear with pride, but I didn't realize the remarkable saga of innovation and survival and triumph that stood behind every swoosh. Candid, funny, suspenseful, literary - this is a memoir for people who love sport, but above all it's a memoir for people who love memoirs. [source]

2

Open

Andre Agassi

4.6

From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography.

Agassi’s incredibly rigorous training begins when he is just a child. By the age of thirteen, he is banished to a Florida tennis camp that feels like a prison camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon

Recommended by Bill Gates, Dave Elitch, Debanjan Chakrabarti, and 8 others.

Bill Gates

CEO/Microsoft

On Bill Gates's reading list in 2011. [source]

Dave Elitch

Phenomenal. [source]

Debanjan Chakrabarti

I think Open is one of the best sport autobiographies I have ever read. [source]

3

Michael Jordan: The Life

Roland Lazenby

4.5

The definitive biography of a legendary athlete

The Shrug. The Shot. The Flu Game. Michael Jordan is responsible for sublime moments so ingrained in sports history that they have their own names. When most people think of him, they think of his beautiful shots with the game on the line, his body totally in sync with the ball -- hitting nothing but net.

But for all his greatness, this scion of a com

Recommended by Yaro Starak and 1 others.

Yaro Starak

Michael Jordan and Phil Knight, the Nike founder, two different biographies, those were great. See, Michael Jordan’s was really really quite good and doesn’t seem to get talked about as much but it’s nice and solid. [source]

4

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption

Laura Hillenbrand

4.4

Preview Summary

In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. Telling an unforgettable story of a man's journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.
On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of

5

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Daniel James Brown

4.3

For readers of Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit and Unbroken, the dramatic story of the American rowing team that stunned the world at Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Daniel James Brown's robust book tells the story of the University of Washington's 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans.

Recommended by Satya Nadella, Ryan Holiday, Gail Kelly, and 3 others.

Satya Nadella

CEO/Microsoft

Nadella calls this tale with a local Seattle connection—it involves an underdog University of Washington crew team and the 1936 Berlin Olympics—”A wonderful illustration of the importance of teamwork, which was a core part of my focus out of the gate as CEO. [source]

Ryan Holiday

Author

Another great narrative nonfiction out this year that I hope you’ll like is: The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown. [source]

Gail Kelly

Former CEO/ Westpac

Member of the Group of 30, and former CEO of Westpac will be spending her summer months reading a memoir, a novel and historical non-fiction. [source]

6

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Christopher McDougall

4.3

Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we tho

Recommended by Ed Stafford and Turia Pitt.

Ed Stafford

An honour to be asked to do an impromptu little talk tonight after #christophermcdougall. Great to see the big man in the flesh in the UK. #BornToRun was a book that definitely changed the path of my life. #legend @vivobarefoot #barefootrunning https://t.co/3QgVKZ0OQ4 [source]

Turia Pitt

If people are interested in running, I give them this book. [source]

7

I am Zlatan Ibrahimović

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

4.2

'Why be a Fiat when you can be a Ferrari?'

Welcome to Planet Zlatan.
This is the story of how a Swedish outsider rose from poverty to become a football genius.

In his own inimitable style, Zlatan Ibrahimović recalls every struggle, every goal and every training-ground bust-up on his journey to dominate the world's top clubs, including Ajax, Juventus, Internazionale, Barcelona, Milan and Paris Saint-G

Recommended by Juliet Jacques.

Juliet Jacques

Lagercrantz said he met Ibrahimovic and wasn’t really that taken with the material he got. So he just made it up. [source]

8

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

Kobe Bryant

4.2

Preview Summary

In the wake of his retirement from professional basketball, Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant has decided to share his vast knowledge and understanding of the game to take readers on an unprecedented journey to the core of the legendary “Mamba mentality.” Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it “the right way,” The

9

The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership

Bill Walsh

4.2

"Even when you have an organization brimming with talent, victory is not always under your control. There is no guarantee, no ultimate formula for success. It all comes down to intelligently and relentlessly seeking solutions that will increase your chance of prevailing. When you do that, the score will take care of itself." (Bill Walsh)

Bill Walsh is a towering figure in the history of the NFL.

Recommended by Jack Dorsey, Vinod Khosla, Vinod Khosla, and 6 others.

Jack Dorsey

Co-Founder/Twitter

There is never a better time to do the hard things when things are going extremely well and that can be as an individual that can be as a team as well. “Number nine, never fall prey to the belief that getting to the top makes everything easy.” It doesn’t, it makes it harder. “Number 10, recognize that mastery is a process, not a destination.” That’s what Bill Walsh had to say. The book is The Score Takes Care of Itself, a fantastic, fantastic tome of lists and everything that he’s learned in managing some very, very hard and ego-driven people, football players through the most losing team in the world to winning four Super Bowls in a row, amazing turnaround that he did by building a team and focusing on those details. [source]

Noah Kagan

Founder/Sumo

A few months ago, I was drinking a Noah’s Mill whiskey (cute) with my good buddy Brian Balfour and talking about life... During the conversation, we got on the topic of books that changed our lives. I want to share them with you. I judge a book's success if a year later I'm still using at least 1 thing from the book. [source]

Ryan Holiday

Author

In 2014, I read The Education of a Coach, a book about Bill Belichick which influenced me immensely (coincidentally, the Patriots have also read my book and were influenced by it). Anyway, I have been chasing that high ever since. Bill Walsh’s book certainly met that high standard. Out of all the books I read this year, I marked this one up the most. Even if you’ve never watched a down of football, you’ll get something out of this book. Walsh took the 49ers from the worst team in football to the Super Bowl in less than 3 years. How? Not with a grand vision or pure ambition, but with what he called the Standard of Performance. That is: How to practice. How to dress. How to hold the ball. Where to be on a play down the very inch. Which skills mattered for each position. How much effort to give. By upholding these standards—whatever they happen to be for your chosen craft—success will take care of itself. [source]

10

The Match: The Day the Game of Golf Changed Forever

Mark Frost

4.2

In 1956, a casual bet between two millionaires eventually pitted two of the greatest golfers of the era -- Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan -- against top amateurs Harvie Ward and Ken Venturi.

The year: 1956. Decades have passed since Eddie Lowery came to fame as the ten-year-old caddie to U.S. Open Champion Francis Ouimet. Now a wealthy car dealer and avid supporter of amateur golf, Lowery has just mad

11

Ball Four: The Final Pitch

Jim Bouton

4.2

The beloved baseball classic now available in paperback, with a new prologue by Jim Bouton

When Ball Four was first published in 1970, it hit the sports world like a lightning bolt. Commissioners, executives, and players were shocked. Sportswriters called author Jim Bouton a traitor and "social leper." Commissioner Bowie Kuhn tried to force him to declare the book untrue. Fans, however, loved the

Recommended by Aaron Gleeman, Ben Shapiro, Joe Posnanski, and 4 others.

Aaron Gleeman

Damn. Jim Bouton. "Ball Four" is the best baseball book ever written. It blew my 13-year-old mind and I've read it every few years since. It always holds up. Meeting him at a SABR convention in Seattle is something I'll never forget. An absolute legend. https://t.co/g37Afhlyaj [source]

Ben Shapiro

The best baseball book. [source]

Joe Posnanski

That’s exactly what it is. It’s a diary of a season. Jim Bouton was a wildly successful young player for the Yankees and then basically lost his arm, he got hurt. The book is about his attempt to come back. What makes it wonderful reading, and the reason I love it, is that it’s beautifully written and, again, there’s a great deal of humanity in it. There is certainly also a lot of shock-value in it. There are stories about athletes taking drugs and some of the off-field relationships. That is what made the book somewhat scandalous when it first came out. [source]

12

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game

Michael Lewis

4.2

Preview Summary

The young man at the center of this extraordinary and moving story will one day be among the most highly paid athletes in the National Football League. When we first meet him, he is one of thirteen children by a mother addicted to crack; he does not know his real name, his father, his birthday, or any of the things a child might learn in school such as, say, how to read or write. Nor has he ever t

Recommended by Malcolm Gladwell, Ev Williams, and Scott Keyes.

13

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

Jon Krakauer

4.2

When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin his long, dangerous descent from 29,028 feet, twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly toward the top. No one had noticed that the sky had begun to fill with clouds. Six h

Recommended by Richard Branson, Cristina Riesen, Fabrice Grinda, and 2 others.

Richard Branson

Founder/Virgin Group

Today is World Book Day, a wonderful opportunity to address this #ChallengeRichard sent in by Mike Gonzalez of New Jersey: Make a list of your top 65 books to read in a lifetime. [source]

Cristina Riesen

First, a word on career paths. In time, I realised that career paths are like one-way streets. Magic happens in unexplored territories. Plus life is how you choose to live every moment, every day. So today, rather than building a career, I prefer to make lateral moves in life, working with great people and being part of ambitious projects impacting the world. There are a few books that got me here: … Jon Krakauer "Into Thin Air". [source]

Fabrice Grinda

I have lots of books to recommend, but they are not related to my career path. The only one that is remotely related is Peter Thiel’s Zero to One. That said here are books I would recommend. [source]

14

The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It

Lawrence S Ritter

4.2

Baseball was different in earlier days—tougher, rawer, more intimate—when giants like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb ran the bases. In the monumental classic The Glory of Their Times, the golden era of our national pastime comes alive through the vibrant words of those who played and lived the game.

Recommended by Joe Posnanski and John Thorn.

Joe Posnanski

What Lawrence Ritter did is he went back and talked to a bunch of players about their era. Again, it’s wonderful because there is this humanity to it. He’s talking to these athletes long after their successes are over. The stories get to be somewhat exaggerated, and somewhat more fully realised in a lot of ways. I don’t know if I would rely on every single thing in the book if I was writing a doctoral thesis or a paper, but it’s just wonderful, fun reading about a time when baseball was really just becoming the American pastime. There are so many characters that they talk about, and so many stories. It makes for great baseball reading. [source]

John Thorn

It is a time machine. You start reading and you are hearing these ballplayers who played in the major leagues between 1890 and 1920. These are men who played alongside Ty Cobb in the outfield, men who were present when Babe Ruth came up to the Red Sox, men who played a key roll in the World Series of 1912. They are speaking to you. You feel as if they were in your living room with you. Hearing from these foundational figures is like listening to an interview with George Washington at Valley Forge. [source]

15

The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World

A. J. Baime

4.2

“[A] well-judged and hugely readable book . . . few are as entertaining.”—Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times

“A. J. Baime is a master. His reporting and storytelling are woven to hypnotic effect. This is history and humanity in lush, vivid color.”—Doug Stanton, author of The Odyssey of Echo Company

Heroes are often defined as ordinary characters who get pushed into extraordinary circumstances, and th

16

Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling

Bret Hart

4.1

'Amazingly detailed and meticulously crafted ... Hitman will stand the test of time as one of the definitive wrestling biographies' Publishers Weekly

'Bret Hart still makes me believe that wrestling is good' Hulk Hogan

'Packed with drugs, sex, vicious family in-fighting and tales of life on the road ... Hart names names and lays it all bare in his own words' Globe and Mail

A story of death, sex, betr

17

Sum It Up: 1,098 Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant Losses, and a Life in Perspective

Pat Head Summitt

4.1

Pat Summitt, the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history and bestselling author of Reach for the Summitt and Raise The Roof, tells for the first time her remarkable story of victory and resilience as well as facing down her greatest challenge: early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Pat Summitt was only 21 when she became head coach of the Tennessee Vols women's basketball team. For 38 years,

18

A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex

Chris Jericho

4.1

Chris Jericho is the first undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the WWE and WCW, and has been called one of the fifty greatest wrestlers of all time. He tells the story of his journey from wrestling school in Canada to his time in leagues in Mexico and Japan to his big break in the WCW. He'll dish the dirt on how he worked his way through the ranks alongside major wrestling stars like Chris Benoit a

19

Leading: Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United

Alex Ferguson

4.1

From the winningest soccer coach ever, best known for 27 triumphant years with Manchester United, comes the book that decodes the key tools he used to deliver sustained success on and off the field.

After an astonishing career-first in Scotland, and then over 27 years with Manchester United Football Club, Sir Alex Ferguson analyzes the pivotal leadership decisions of his 38 years as a manager and,

Recommended by Daniel Ek.

Daniel Ek

I struggled with whether or not to include this one, as I’m a Gooner (that means Arsenal fan, by the way), but the fact is that the author grew Manchester United into one of the best known brands today, and that’s what fascinates me about him. [source]

20

Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court

John Wooden

4.1

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

"I am just a common man who is true to his beliefs."--John Wooden

Evoking days gone by when coaches were respected as much for their off-court performances as for their success on the court, Wooden presents the timeless wisdom of legendary basketball coach John Wooden.

In honest and telling passages about virtually every aspect of life, Coach shares his personal philosophy on fam

Recommended by Ashton Kutcher and Katrín Davíðsdóttir.

Ashton Kutcher

I think it's to be digested slowly. I'm in inspiration overload. [source]

Katrín Davíðsdóttir

One of my absolute favorites. … Wooden’s approach to training resonates a lot with me and my coach. [source]

21

Orr: My Story

Bobby Orr

4.1

The NHL legend tells his story from his Ontario childhood to his years with the Bruins and Blackhawks, to today. New York Times Bestseller!

Bobby Orr is often referred to as the greatest defenseman ever to play the game of hockey. But all the brilliant achievements leave unsaid as much as they reveal. They don’t tell what inspired Orr, what drove him, what it was like for a shy small-town kid to

22

Mr. Tiger: The Legend of Al Kaline, Detroit’s Own

Detroit Free Press

4.1

“Mr. Tiger” Al Kaline was the most distinguished Detroit Tiger of them all, combining on-field excellence, acclaim and awards with off-field class, humility and generosity. Kaline made such an impact that his passing at 85 on April 6, 2020, saddened not just Tigers fans throughout the region but baseball fans everywhere, who watched with admiration and respect during Kaline’s storybook 22-year Hal

23

Rafa

Rafael Nadal

4.1

What makes a champion? What does it take to be the best in the world at your sport? Rafael Nadal has the answers. In his memoir, written with award-winning journalist John Carlin, he reveals the secrets of his game and shares the inspiring personal story behind his success. It begins in Mallorca, where the tight-knit Nadal family has lived for generations. Coached by his uncle Toni from the age of

24

The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter

Ian O'Connor

4.1

Every spring, Little Leaguers across the country mimic his stance and squabble over the right to wear his number, 2, the next number to be retired by the world’s most famous ball team. Derek Jeter is their hero. He walks in the footsteps of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle, and someday his shadow will loom just as large. Yet he has never been the best player in baseball. In fact, he hasn’t alway

25

The League: How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire

John Eisenberg

4.1

The epic tale of the five owners who shepherded the NFL through its tumultuous early decades and built the most popular sport in America

The National Football League is a towering, distinctly American colossus spewing out $14 billion in annual revenue. But it was not always a success. In The League, John Eisenberg focuses on the pioneering sportsmen who kept the league alive in the 1920s, 1930s, an

26

Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-Year Friendship On and Off the Court

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

4.1

Former NBA star and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explores his 50-year friendship with Coach John Wooden, one of the most enduring and meaningful relationships in sports history.

When future NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still an 18-year-old high school basketball prospect from New York City named Lew Alcindor, he accepted a scholarship from UCLA largely on the s

27

Glory Road: My Story of the 1966 NCAA Basketball Championship and How One Team Triumphed Against the Odds and Changed America Forever

Dan Haskins

4.1

Timed to the release of Jerry Bruckheimer's movie, the moving autobiography of Hall of Fame basketball coach Don Haskins and his storied team of players, the Texas Western Miners

In 1966, college basketball was almost completely segregated. In the championship game for the NCAA title that year, Don Haskins, coach of the then little-known Texas Western College, did something that had never been done

28

The Closer: My Story

Mariano Rivera, Wayne Coffey, Michael Kay

4.1

The greatest relief pitcher of all time shares his extraordinary story of survival, love, and baseball.

Mariano Rivera, the man who intimidated thousands of batters merely by opening a bullpen door, began his incredible journey as the son of a poor Panamanian fisherman. When first scouted by the Yankees, he didn't even own his own glove. He thought he might make a good mechanic. When discovered, h

29

Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story

Arnold Schwarzenegger

4.1

One of the most anticipated autobiographies of this generation, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Total Recall is the candid story by one of the world’s most remarkable actors, businessmen, and world leaders.

Born in the small city of Thal, Austria, in 1947, Arnold Schwarzenegger moved to Los Angeles at the age of twenty-one. Within ten years, he was a millionaire businessman. After twenty years, he was the

Recommended by Gabriel Coarnă, Irina Botnari, Michael Herrmann, and 1 others.

Gabriel Coarnă

Schwarzenegger's autobiography is, first and foremost, a really really great rags-to-riches story. But it's true. And it's surprising: he didn't make his first million dollars by acting. And it's inspiring: he goes a little into how one should think, when pursuing a particular goal. And, lastly, it's very well written. It'll completely redefine your idea of the man. And it may give you a glimpse into how you might better sculpt your idea of you. [source]

Irina Botnari

I’m definitely a story-lover and maybe that’s why I like to read a lot of biographies. It’s fascinating to discover how people with different backgrounds, interests, businesses, careers have found solutions for various challenges from all areas of their life. Elon Musk, Andre Agassi, Phil Knight, Maria Sharapova, Arnold Schwarzenegger are only a few of good recent ones. A specific moment when I recall one of the inspiring stories is probably when I think I can’t anymore. I take a deep breath and move on. It’s only in our mind. We can always do a little more. [source]

Michael Herrmann

Schwarzenegger's autobiography. Very interesting as well. He's a true self-made man. [source]

Cover unavailable

30

Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance

Simone Biles

4.1

Simone Biles’ entrance into the world of gymnastics may have started on a daycare field trip in her hometown of Spring, Texas, but her God-given talent, passion, and perseverance have made her one of the top gymnasts in the world, as well as a four-time winner of Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro.

But there is more to Simone than the nineteen medals—fourteen of them gold—and the Olympic successes. Thr

31

The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence

Josh Waitzkin

4.1

Preview Summary

Josh Waitzkin knows what it means to be at the top of his game. A public figure since winning his first National Chess Championship at the age of nine, Waitzkin was catapulted into a media whirlwind as a teenager when his father's book "Searching for Bobby Fischer" was made into a major motion picture. After dominating the scholastic chess world for ten years, Waitzkin expanded his horizons, takin

Recommended by Bryan Callen, Chris Oliver, Dave Elitch, and 4 others.

Bryan Callen

I probably have recommended The Art of Learning and The 4-Hour Body, I'm not kidding, more than any other books. [source]

Chris Oliver

The Art of Learning as well is phenomenal. You're always learning new things in programming and startups so being good at learning is a crucial skill to have. [source]

Dave Elitch

I tell everyone I teach to get this book. [source]

32

When the Game Was Ours

Larry Bird

4.1

From the moment these two players took the court on opposing sides, they engaged in a fierce physical and psychological battle. Their uncommonly competitive relationship came to symbolize the most compelling rivalry in the NBA. These were the basketball epics of the 1980s Celtics vs Lakers, East vs West, physical vs finesse, Old School vs Showtime, even white vs black. Each pushed the other to gre

33

Miracle in the Andes

Nando Parrado

4.1

In the first hours there was nothing, no fear or sadness, just a black and perfect silence.

Nando Parrado was unconscious for three days before he woke to discover that the plane carrying his rugby team, as well as their family members and supporters, to an exhibition game in Chile had crashed somewhere deep in the Andes. He soon learned that many were dead or dying—among them his own mother and si

34

The Education of a Coach

David Halberstam

4.1

Pulitzer Prize-winner David Halberstam's bestseller takes you inside the football genius of Bill Belichick for an insightful profile in leadership. Bill Belichick's thirty-one years in the NFL have been marked by amazing success--most recently with the New England Patriots. In this groundbreaking book, David Halberstam explores the nuances of both the game and the man behind it. He uncovers what m

Recommended by Ryan Holiday and Bobby Voicu.

Ryan Holiday

Author

In 2014, I read The Education of a Coach, a book about Bill Belichick which influenced me immensely (coincidentally, the Patriots have also read my book and were influenced by it). [source]

Bobby Voicu

The first one is gentler with the coach, because the author had access to him personally. It also has only the first two Superbowls, because it stops in 2003. This means the writer didn’t know about the 2 biggest scandals that involved Belichick: Spygate and Deflategate. [source]

35

The Jordan Rules: The Inside Story of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls

Sam Smith

4.1

NBA Hall of Fame columnist Sam Smith had unlimited access to the team and its players during their championship 1991-92 season, which he details in the new introduction, along with candid revelations about his sources, and the reaction from Michael, his teammates, the media, and the fans when the book blasted onto the bestseller lists in 1992 (where it stayed for three months).

With more than a mil

36

Raise the Roof: The Inspiring Inside Story of the Tennessee Lady Vols' Historic 1997-1998 Threepeat Season

Pat Summitt

4.1

"It wasn't a team. It was a tent revival."

So says Pat Summitt, the legendary coach whose Tennessee Lady Vols entered the 1997-98 season aiming for an almost unprecedented "three-peat" of NCAA championships. Raise the Roof takes you right inside the locker room of her amazing team, whose inspired mixture of gifted freshmen and seasoned stars produced a standard of play that would change the game of

37

Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero

Leigh Montville

4.1

He was The Kid. The Splendid Splinter. Teddy Ballgame. One of the greatest figures of his generation, and arguably the greatest baseball hitter of all time. But what made Ted Williams a legend – and a lightning rod for controversy in life and in death? What motivated him to interrupt his Hall of Fame career twice to serve his country as a fighter pilot; to embrace his fans while tangling with the

38

Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity

Drew Brees

4.1

When a potentially career-ending shoulder injury left quarterback Drew Brees without a team--and facing the daunting task of having to learn to throw a football all over again--coaches around the NFL wondered, Will he ever come back? After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, leaving more than 80 percent of the city underwater, many wondered, Will the city ever come back? And with their stadi

39

Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig

Jonathan Eig

4.1

The definitive account of the life and tragic death of baseball legend Lou Gehrig.

Lou Gehrig was a baseball legend—the Iron Horse, the stoic New York Yankee who was the greatest first baseman in history, a man whose consecutive-games streak was ended by a horrible disease that now bears his name. But as this definitive new biography makes clear, Gehrig’s life was more complicated—and, perhaps, eve

40

The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It

Neal Bascomb

4.1

There was a time when running the mile in four minutes was believed to be beyond the limits of human foot speed, and in all of sport it was the elusive holy grail. In 1952, after suffering defeat at the Helsinki Olympics, three world-class runners each set out to break this barrier.

Roger Bannister was a young English medical student who epitomized the ideal of the amateur — still driven not just b

41

Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Season

Urban Meyer

4.1

Remarkable lessons in leadership and teambuilding from one of the greatest college football coaches of our time

In only thirteen years as a head football coach, first at Bowling Green and then at Utah, Florida, and Ohio State, Urban Meyer has established himself as one of the elite coaches in the annals of his sport, with three national championships and a cumulative record of 142 wins and only 26

42

Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps

Chris Jericho

4.1

"Entertaining . . .an insightful and funny observer of pro wrestling's universe." -- Publishers Weekly

In this insightful, riveting book, Jericho takes us into WWE wrestling arenas around the world as he details his classic rivalries with The Rock, Steve Austin, HHH, Shawn Michaels, and John Cena, along with all the politics and backstage machinations he faced outside the ring. Chris recounts his

43

Stephen Curry: The Boy Who Never Gave Up

Anthony Curcio

4.1

44

Under Our Skin: Getting Real about Race. Getting Free from the Fears and Frustrations That Divide Us.

Benjamin Watson

4.1

Can it ever get better? This is the question Benjamin Watson is asking. In a country aflame with the fallout from the racial divide--in which Ferguson, Charleston, and the Confederate flag dominate the national news, daily seeming to rip the wounds open ever wider--is there hope for honest and healing conversation? For finally coming to understand each other on issues that are ultimately about so

45

Teammate: My Journey in Baseball and a World Series for the Ages

David Ross, Don Yaeger, Theo Epstein

4.1

An inspiring memoir from David Ross, the veteran catcher dubbed "Grandpa Rossy," who became the heart and soul of the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series championship team.

In 2016 the Cubs snapped a 108-year curse, winning the World Series in a history-making, seven-game series against the Cleveland Indians. Of the many storylines to Chicago's fairytale season, one stood out: the late-career renaissan

46

The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood

Jane Leavy

4.1

Award-winning sports writer Jane Leavy follows her New York Times runaway bestseller Sandy Koufax with the definitive biography of baseball icon Mickey Mantle. The legendary Hall-of-Fame outfielder was a national hero during his record-setting career with the New York Yankees, but public revelations of alcoholism, infidelity, and family strife badly tarnished the ballplayer's reputation in his lat

47

Never Settle: Sports, Family, and the American Soul

Marty Smith

4.1

The amazing and blessed life of popular ESPN reporter and correspondent for College GameDay, Marty Smith, whose mission in this thoughtful and funny memoir is to return fans to the true soul of sports in this country.
You know Marty right? The guy during College GameDay hanging off the back of a pickup truck while zooming around the Clemson athletic facilities. The guy who visits Nick Saban's lake

Recommended by Brian Fanzo Isocialfanz, Greg Sankey, Mike Davis, and 1 others.

Brian Fanzo Isocialfanz

@MartySmithESPN @laurabturk @radfordu @ru_athletics RU memories are the best! Congrats @MartySmithESPN on the book launch... Going to get my hands on #NeverSettle! #Classof2003 [source]

Greg Sankey

Summer Reading Book #19—NEVER SETTLE: Sports, Family, and the American Soul by @MartySmithESPN. @ericchurch wrote the BEST book foreword I’ve read in years (just fish at the boat launch)! Honored Marty gave me an early copy & made it personal. I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED NEVER SETTLE! https://t.co/m2rWVYohAg [source]

Mike Davis

“You know what was amazing, and hilarious? When you chugged that beer with Dale Earnhardt Jr. after his last NASCAR race. One of the best things I’ve seen on ESPN.” — Tiger Woods to @MartySmithESPN, as told by Marty in his new book #NeverSettle, available everywhere. https://t.co/d2DwGyH6QZ [source]

48

Incomparable

Brie Bella

4.1

A raw, honest, and revealing co-memoir by Brie and Nikki Bella: twin sisters, WWE Hall of Fame inductees, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and stars of the hit E! shows Total Bellas and Total Divas.

As twins, the Bellas have always competed. Legend has it that Nikki drop-kicked Brie in the womb so that she could make her grand entrance first. But the rest of the world often treated them as identical

49

Bowerman and the Men of Oregon: The Story of Oregon's Legendary Coach and Nike's Co-founder

Kenny Moore

4.1

The first biography of the legendary track coach, and founder of Nike, who had an unparalleled impact on the sport of running

During his tenure as track coach at the University of Oregon from 1949 through 1972, Bill Bowerman won 4 national team titles, trained dozens of milers to break the 4-minute barrier, and his athletes set 13 world and 22 American records. Single-handedly he helped turn the co

50

Racing to the Finish: My Story

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan McGee

4.1

It was a seemingly minor crash at Michigan International Speedway in June 2016 that ended the day early for Dale Earnhardt Jr. What he didn’t know was that it would also end his driving for the year. He’d dealt with concussions before, but concussions are like snowflakes—no two are the same. And recovery can be brutal—and lengthy.

As a third-generation driver in a family forever connected to the sp

Recommended by Daniel Carcillo.

Daniel Carcillo

@DaleJr Thanks for the retweet Dale! I read your book on concussions. The note taking process you used to keep track of symptoms is a great tool. Appreciate you using your story to raise awareness for traumatic brain injuries [source]

Cover unavailable

51

The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told: A True Tale of Three Gamblers, The Kentucky Derby, and the Mexican Cartel

Mark Paul

4.1

The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told is an inspiring personal narrative about a filly who broke through the male-dominated world of horseracing and inspired crowds of men and women alike, along with a trio of gamblers who embark on an unforgettable adventure that's as epic as the history victory of Winning Colors. It's Seabiscuit meets Narcos, and the best true-life gambling story ever told.

In t

52

Ballplayer

Chipper Jones

4.0

Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones—one of the greatest switch-hitters in baseball history—shares his remarkable story, while capturing the magic nostalgia that sets baseball apart from every other sport.

Before Chipper Jones became an eight-time All-Star who amassed Hall of Fame–worthy statistics during a nineteen-year career with the Atlanta Braves, he was just a country kid from small to

53

King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero

David Remnick

4.0

There were mythic sports figures before him--Jack Johnson, Babe Ruth, Joe Louis, Joe DiMaggio--but when Cassius Clay burst onto the sports scene from his native Louisville in the 1950s, he broke the mold. He changed the world of sports and went on to change the world itself. As Muhammad Ali, he would become the most recognized face on the planet. Ali was a transcendent athlete and entertainer, a h

54

Seabiscuit: An American Legend

Laura Hillenbrand

4.0

There's an alternate cover edition here

Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Three men changed Seabiscuit’s for

Cover unavailable

55

Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans

A. J. Baime

4.0

By the early 1960s, the Ford Motor Company, built to bring automobile transportation to the masses, was falling behind. Young Henry Ford II, who had taken the reins of his grandfather’s company with little business experience to speak of, knew he had to do something to shake things up. Baby boomers were taking to the road in droves, looking for speed not safety, style not comfort. Meanwhile, Enzo

Recommended by Michael Batnick.

Michael Batnick

This movie looks awesome. Based on the book Go Like Hell, which was very good. H/t @Deeep_Blue https://t.co/1rlw61T5G6 [source]

56

Michael Jordan: Legends in Sports

Matt Christopher and Glenn Stout

4.0

Don't miss this action-packed and informative look at the life and achievements of a basketball legend!

Matt Christopher, the number one sports writer for kids, profiles basketball superstar Michael Jordan, covering his childhood, college career, rookie years, professional career highlights, and even his short stint in minor league baseball. Written in Matt Christopher's easy-to-read style and com

57

Rising Above: How 11 Athletes Overcame Challenges in Their Youth to Become Stars

Gregory Zuckerman, Elijah Zuckerman, et al.

4.0

Discover the inspirational real-life stories of superstar athletes like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Tim Howard, and more!

"Packs a powerful message--perseverance and passion pay off. Even non-sports fans will cheer for superstars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry."-- Scholastic Teacher

Team USA goalkeeper Tim Howard was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome in 6th grade. He went on to become a natio

58

Basketball (and Other Things): A Collection of Questions Asked, Answered, Illustrated

Shea Serrano, Arturo Torres, et al.

4.0

#1 New York Times bestseller

Who is the greatest dunker of all time? Which version of the Michael Jordan was the best Michael Jordan? What is allowed and absolutely not allowed in a game of pickup basketball? Basketball (and Other Things) presents readers with a whole new set of pivotal and ridiculous fan disputes from basketball history, providing arguments and answers, explained with the wit and

59

Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success

Phil Jackson

4.0

During his storied career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships than any coach in the history of professional sports. Even more important, he succeeded in never wavering from coaching his way, from a place of deep values. Jackson was tagged as the “Zen master” half in jest by sportswriters, but the nickname speaks to an important truth: this

Recommended by Ryan Holiday and Adam Lawrence.

Ryan Holiday

Author

Favorite business or leadership book in a long time. [source]

Adam Lawrence

Question: What’s your favorite book and why? Answer: … Eleven Rings by Phil Jackson … [source]

60

Breakaway: Beyond the Goal

Alex Morgan

4.0

Get inspired to be your best—in sports and in life—with this uplifting memoir from star soccer player, Olympic gold medalist, and FIFA World Cup champion Alex Morgan that includes eight pages of full-color photos!

As a talented and successful female athlete, Alex Morgan is a role model to thousands of girls who want to be their best, not just in soccer, but in life. The story of her path to success

61

Yes: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of Wrestlemania

Daniel Bryan

4.0

One of WWE's most unlikely champions of all time and also one of its most popular, Bryan has proved to the world and to all of WWE that looks can be deceiving. Just ask anyyone who's ever underestimated him . . . right before he went out and whipped the WWE universe into a frenzy.

This is Bryan's behind-the-scenes story told for the first time ever by the "YES!" Man himself---from his beginnings as

62

Paterno

Joe Posnanski

4.0

By America’s premier sportswriter, written with full cooperation of Joe Paterno and his family, Paterno is the definitive account of the epic life of America’s winningest college football coach. Published to coincide with Penn State football’s first season without their legendary leader.

Joe Posnanski’s biography of the late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno follows in the tradition of works by

63

About Your Father and Other Celebrities I Have Known: Ruminations and Revelations from a Desperate Mother to Her Dirty Son

Peggy Rowe

4.0

Peggy Rowe is at it again—this time giving a hilarious inside look at growing up Rowe, both before and after Mike’s rise to fame.

Since the day they said, “I do,” Peggy’s previous “doting” lifestyle met with her husband John’s minimalistic ways and became the backdrop for years of adventure and a quirky sense of humor because of their differences. From thoughts of wearing headlamps in the house to

64

Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization

John Wooden

4.0

A Wall Street Journal Bestseller

A compelling look inside the mind and powerful leadership methods of America's coaching legend, John Wooden

"Team spirit, loyalty, enthusiasm, determination. . . . Acquire and keep these traits and success should follow."
--Coach John Wooden

John Wooden's goal in 41 years of coaching never changed; namely, to get maximum effort and peak performance from each of his pl

Recommended by Jim Sinegal, Lolly Daskal, and Skip Prichard.

Jim Sinegal

CEO/Costco

Wooden On Leadership offers valuable lessons no matter what your endeavor. 'Competitive Greatness' is our goal and that of any successful organization. Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success is where it all starts. [source]

65

Gerrard: My Autobiography

Steven Gerrard

4.0

Steven Gerrard is a hero to millions, not only as the inspirational captain of Liverpool FC, but as a key member of the England team. Here, for the first time, he tells the story of his lifelong obsession with football, in an honest and revealing book which captures the extraordinary camaraderie, the soul-destroying tensions and the high-octane thrills of the modern game as never before. He speaks

66

The Crazy Game

Clint Malarchuk, Dan Robson

4.0

In the spirit of The Game and The Blind Side, a raw, raucous and unvarnished look at life between the posts.

No job in the world of sports is as intimidating, exhilarating and as stress-ridden as that of a hockey goaltender. Standing in the crease facing one-hundred-mile-an-hour slapshots, the entire game riding on your glove hand, standing on your head when necessary-all job requirements for those

67

Leading with the Heart: Coach K's Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life

Mike Krzyzewski

4.0

Duke University's head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski has proved himself a leader both on and off the court. He's led the Duke Blue Devils to five straight Final Four appearances, culminating in back-to-back championships in 1991 and '92. He has received five National Coach of the Year Awards -- and many of the players he coached in college have gone on to NBA stardom! Now Coach K offers the ins

68

Gunslinger: The Remarkable, Improbable, Iconic Life of Brett Favre

Jeff Pearlman

4.0

From a New York Times best-selling author, the full, definitive biography of Brett Favre

A towering figure on the field for two decades who breezed into the Hall of Fame, Brett Favre was one of the game’s last cowboys, a fastball-throwing, tobacco-chewing gunslinger who refused to give up without a fight. This peerless quarterback guided the Green Bay Packers to two Super Bowls and one championship

69

Foley is Good: And the Real World is Faker Than Wrestling

Mick Foley

4.0

In Foley Is Good, Mick Foley -- former Commissioner of the World Wrestling Federation, aka Cactus Jack, Dude Love, and Mankind -- picks up right where his smash #1 New York Times bestseller Have a Nice Day! left off, giving readers an inside look at the behind-the-scenes action in the Federation. With total honesty and riotous humor, Mick Foley shines a spotlight into some of the hidden corners of

70

Unstoppable: My Life So Far

Maria Sharapova

4.0

The rise, and fall, and rise again of tennis sensation Maria Sharapova

In the middle of the night, a father and his daughter step off a Greyhound bus in Florida and head straight to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. They ring the bell, though no one is expecting them. They don't speak English. They've arrived from Russia with only $700 and the conviction that this six-year-old will be the next t

Recommended by Irina Botnari and Yaro Starak.

Irina Botnari

I’m definitely a story-lover and maybe that’s why I like to read a lot of biographies. It’s fascinating to discover how people with different backgrounds, interests, businesses, careers have found solutions for various challenges from all areas of their life. Elon Musk, Andre Agassi, Phil Knight, Maria Sharapova, Arnold Schwarzenegger are only a few of good recent ones. A specific moment when I recall one of the inspiring stories is probably when I think I can’t anymore. I take a deep breath and move on. It’s only in our mind. We can always do a little more. [source]

Yaro Starak

Maria Sharapova, I have to add her to the list of tennis biographies I’ve read. [source]

71

Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance

Alex Hutchinson

4.0

From the National Magazine Award-winning Runner’s World columnist, frequent New Yorker online contributor, and Cambridge-trained physicist: a fascinating and definitive exploration of the extraordinary science of human endurance and the secrets of human performance, for fans of The Sports Gene, Born to Run, and Grit.

From running a two-hour marathon to summiting Mount Everest, we’re fascinated by t

Recommended by Malcolm Gladwell, Bear Grylls, Adam Grant, and 2 others.

Malcolm Gladwell

Writer & Journalist

This book is AMAZING! [source]

Bear Grylls

Adventurer, author, survival instructor

If you want to gain insight into the mind of great athletes, adventurers, and peak performers then prepare to be enthralled by Alex Hutchinson’s Endure. [source]

Adam Grant

Reveals how we can all surpass our perceived physical limits. [source]

72

Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero

David Maraniss

4.0

On New Year's Eve 1972, following eighteen magnificent seasons in the major leagues, Roberto Clemente died a hero's death, killed in a plane crash as he attempted to deliver food and medical supplies to Nicaragua after a devastating earthquake. David Maraniss now brings the great baseball player brilliantly back to life in "Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero," a book destined

73

Faster than Lightning: My Autobiography

Usain Bolt

4.0

The autobiography of the fastest man of all time and a superstar whose talent and charisma have made him one of the most famous people on the planet.

Whether you know Athletics or not, and even whether you know sport or not, chances are you know Usain Bolt. The fastest man on the planet, not just now but ever, Usain has won the hearts of people everywhere with his mind-blowing performances and his

74

Adam Thielen: From Small Town to Football Star (Amazing Sports Biographies)

Lindsay VonRuden and Ryan Jacobson

4.0

75

Home Team: Coaching the Saints and New Orleans Back to Life

Sean Payton, Ellis Henican

4.0

The inspirational true story of how one man led a football team-and a city- to triumph in Super Bowl XLIV.

In the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Superdome became a national symbol of misery and hopelessness, where the truly desperate rode out the storm.

Four years later, in that very stadium, the New Orleans Saints won the NFC championship and earned their first-ever trip to th

76

The Game

Ken Dryden

4.0

Widely acknowledged as the best hockey book ever written and lauded by "Sports Illustrated" as one of the Top 10 Sports Books of All Time, "The Game" is a reflective and thought-provoking look at a life in hockey. Intelligent and insightful, former Montreal Canadiens goalie and former President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ken Dryden captures the essence of the sport and what it means to all hockey

77

Walk On!: A Guide for Babies of All Ages

Marla Frazee

4.0

Trying something new is never easy. Like walking, for instance. But aren't you sick of sitting on your bottom day in and day out? Hasn't lying around all the time become a little bit boring? This handy guide, both practical and inspirational, is here to help. With useful tips, common pitfalls, and Marla Frazee's adorable illustrations, this book is perfect for anyone--from a baby to a graduate to

78

The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star

Nikki Sixx

4.0

In one of the most unique memoirs of addiction ever published, Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx shares mesmerizing diary entries from the year he spiraled out of control in a haze of heroin and cocaine, presented alongside riveting commentary from people who were there at the time, and from Nikki himself. When Mötley Crüe was at the height of its fame, there wasn't any drug Nikki Sixx wouldn't do. He spen

79

Fear Is a Choice: Tackling Life's Challenges with Dignity, Faith, and Determination

James Conner

4.0

ACC Player of the Year and star Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner recounts his devastating struggle with cancer, revealing the lessons he drew from his miraculous recovery and his extraordinary comeback.

During his first two years at the University of Pittsburgh, running back James Conner became one of the Panthers’ biggest stars, breaking records and winning the adoration of fans. The

80

Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football

John Urschel

4.0

John Urschel, mathematician and former offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens--with biographer Louisa Thomas--tells the story of a life balanced between two passions

For John Urschel, what began as an insatiable appetite for puzzles as a child quickly evolved into mastery of the elegant systems and rules of mathematics. By the time he was thirteen, Urschel was auditing college-level calculus

81

Never Die Easy: The Autobiography of Walter Payton

Walter Payton, Don Yaeger

4.0

"Never die easy. Why run out of bounds and die easy? Make that linebacker pay. It carries into all facets of your life. It's okay to lose, to die, but don't die without trying, without giving it your best."

His legacy is towering. Walter Payton—the man they called Sweetness, for the way he ran—remains the most prolific running back in the history of the National Football League, the star of the Ch

82

42 Faith: The Rest of the Jackie Robinson Story

Ed Henry

4.0

New York Times Bestseller

Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey, and the hidden hand of God that changed history

Journalist and baseball lover Ed Henry reveals for the first time the backstory of faith that guided Jackie Robinson into not only the baseball record books but the annals of civil rights advancement as well. Through recently discovered sermons, interviews with Robinson’s family and friends,

Cover unavailable

83

Neymar, Ronaldo, Messi

Luca Caioli

4.0

Praise for Luca Caioli's Messi:

"Very thorough, with author Luca Caioli racking up the air miles in pursuit of those who've seen Messi grow."—Sport

Three supremely skillful individuals—Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior—have each risen from humble beginnings to rank amongst the most exciting talents football has ever seen.

As unofficial biographer of all three players,

84

A Life Well Played: My Stories (Commemorative Edition)

Arnold Palmer

4.0

The commemorative edition of the instant New York Times bestseller--now with a foreword by Jack Nicklaus!

"A wonderful compilation that reflects who he was as a person, as a golfer, and as someone who believed in giving back. He was a champion at each turn, and it was an honor not just knowing him and competing against him for nearly 60 years, but also being his friend." --Jack Nicklaus, from the f

85

Casey Stengel: Baseball's Greatest Character

Marty Appel

4.0

A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year

Winner of the 2017 Casey Award for the Best Baseball Book of the Year

"The ultimate biography." --The New York Times

As a player, Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel's contemporaries included Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, and Christy Mathewson. As a legendary manager, he formed indelible, complicated relationships with Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Billy Ma

86

Tiger Woods

Jeff Benedict

4.0

The #1 New York Times bestseller based on years of reporting and interviews with more than 250 people from every corner of Tiger Woods’s life—this “comprehensive, propulsive…and unsparing” (The New Yorker) biography is “an ambitious 360-degree portrait of golf’s most scrutinized figure…brimming with revealing details” (Golf Digest).

In 2009, Tiger Woods was the most famous athlete on the planet, a

Recommended by Ryan Holiday.

Ryan Holiday

Author

I was riveted (and appalled) by Tiger Woods and probably talked to more people about this book than anything else I read this year. [source]

87

Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior

Phil Jackson

4.0

With a new introduction, Phil Jackson's modern classic of motivation, teamwork, and Zen insight is updated for a whole new readership"Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball." --Phil Jackson Eleven years ago, when Phil Jackson first wrote these words in Sacred Hoops, he was the triumphant head coach of the Chicago Bulls, known for his Zen ap

Recommended by AnneMarie Schindler.

AnneMarie Schindler

I suggest these books because they really open up 'how' you think about life and in turn work, success/challenges/setbacks, and in general, yourself. I believe that the more you can understand yourself and broaden your approach to work, the easier it will be to find work that energizes you. Finally, I'm a team player at heart, and love working with others to achieve a huge goal so a portion of these deal with team composition and performance too. [source]

88

Where Nobody Knows Your Name: Life in the Minor Leagues of Baseball

John Feinstein

4.0

Minor league baseball is quintessentially American: small towns, small stadiums, $5 tickets, $2 hot dogs, the never-ending possibility of making it big. But looming above it all is always the real deal: Major League Baseball. John Feinstein takes the reader behind the curtain into the guarded world of the minor leagues, like no other writer can. Where Nobody Knows Your Name explores the trials and

89

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

Haruki Murakami

4.0

An intimate look at writing, running, and the incredible way they intersect, from the incomparable, bestselling author Haruki Murakami.While simply training for New York City Marathon would be enough for most people, Haruki Murakami's decided to write about it as well. The result is a beautiful memoir about his intertwined obsessions with running and writing, full of vivid memories and insights, i

Recommended by Anant Jain and Brian Koppelman.

Anant Jain

On the non-business side of things, “What I Talk about When I Talk About Running” by Haruki Murakami is my recent favorite. I’m a long distance runner and I was extremely delighted to find out that one of the top fiction writers in the world draws a huge chunk of his inspiration from long distance running. In this book, Murakami beautifully connects running to writing, which are two skills close to me that I want to get better at. [source]

Brian Koppelman

The single best distillation of the kind of focus, commitment, and sense of mission it takes to become a great artist. [source]

90

Drive: The Story of My Life

Larry Bird

4.0

"Of all the people I play against, the only one I truly fear is Larry Bird."--Magic Johnson, from the Foreword.The heart and soul of a champion: his life, his career, his game. To understand basketball, you have to understand Larry Bird. Arguably the greatest all-around player the game has ever known, he led the Boston Celtics from the basement to three world championships, collecting three NBA Mo

91

Carlisle Vs. Army: Jim Thorpe, Dwight Eisenhower, Pop Warner, and the Forgotten Story of Football's Greatest Battle

Lars Anderson

4.0

A stunning work of narrative nonfiction, Carlisle vs. Army recounts the fateful 1912 gridiron clash that pitted one of America’s finest athletes, Jim Thorpe, against the man who would become one of the nation’s greatest heroes, Dwight D. Eisenhower. But beyond telling the tale of this momentous event, Lars Anderson also reveals the broader social and historical context of the match, lending it his

Cover unavailable

92

The Wax Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Baseball’s Afterlife

Brad Balukjian

4.0

Is there life after baseball? Starting from this simple question, The Wax Pack ends up with something much bigger and unexpected—a meditation on the loss of innocence and the gift of impermanence, for both Brad Balukjian and the former ballplayers he tracked down. To get a truly random sample of players, Balukjian followed this wildly absurd but fun-as-hell premise: he took a single pack of baseba

93

Shaken: Young Reader's Edition: Fighting to Stand Strong No Matter What Comes Your Way

Tim Tebow and A. J. Gregory

4.0

The New York Times best-selling author and Heisman Trophy winner shares a vision for young Christians still forming their identity and finding their God-given purpose--even when life doesn't go as planned.

Beloved sports icon Tim Tebow was a college football champion and a first-round draft pick--but then he was traded and eventually cut. In Shaken Young Reader's Edition, he reveals how he navigat

94

Think Like a Warrior: The Five Inner Beliefs That Make You Unstoppable

Darrin Donnelly

4.0

Discover the five inner beliefs shared by the world's greatest achievers.

If you want to take control of your life and achieve your biggest dreams, you must develop a "warrior mindset." This book will show you how to stop thinking like a victim and start thinking like a warrior.

In this inspirational fable, Chris McNeely is a college football coach who is at the end of his rope after a hard-and-fast

95

Jackie Robinson: A Biography

Arnold Rampersad

4.0

The extraordinary life of Jackie Robinson is illuminated as never before in this full-scale biography by Arnold Rampersad, who was chosen by Jack's widow, Rachel, to tell her husband's story, and was given unprecedented access to his private papers. We are brought closer than we have ever been to the great ballplayer, a man of courage and quality who became a pivotal figure in the areas of race an

96

The Sergio Torres Story: From the Brick Factory to Old Trafford

Sergio Torres and Juan Manuel Lopez

4.0

An inspirational, personal story of one soccer star's never-say-die attitudes, and his rise to the top

Sergio Torres's is an incredible true story of the benefits of willpower, sacrifice, joy, and daring to dream. Imagine you're working in a brick factory in the Argentine city Mar del Plata, and a 22-year-old colleague tells you he's going to quit his job to become a professional soccer player in E

97

About My Mother: True Stories of a Horse-Crazy Daughter and Her Baseball-Obsessed Mother: A Memoir

Peggy Rowe

4.0

A Message from Mike Rowe, the Dirty Jobs Guy: Just to be clear, About My Mother is a book about my grandmother, written by my mother. That’s not to say it’s not about my mother—it is. In fact, About My Mother is as much about my mother as it is about my grandmother. In that sense, it’s really a book about “mothers.”

…It is not, however, a book written by me. True, I did write the foreword. But it d

98

Through the Eyes of a Champion

Jeff Kinley

4.0

An inspiring biography of a young man of integrity who achieved many things and excelled at life because of his love for Christ and humanity An excellent book to inspire the athlete in your family Great reading for all ages, but especially teens "We had team. We had unity. We had Brandon Burlsworth. He had a total commitment to be the best?" Houston Nutt, Head Football Coach at University Of Arkan

99

Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory

Deena Kastor and Michelle Hamilton

4.0

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

NOW WITH A NEW WORKBOOK

Deena Kastor was a star youth runner with tremendous promise, yet her career almost ended after college, when her competitive method--run as hard as possible, for fear of losing--fostered a frustration and negativity and brought her to the brink of burnout. On the verge of quitting, she took a chance and moved to the high altitudes of Alamosa, Colora

100

One Last Strike

Tony La Russa

4.0

The team that refused to give up
their manager in his final season
A comeback that changed baseball

After thirty-three seasons managing in Major League Baseball, Tony La Russa thought he had seen it all—that is, until the 2011 Cardinals. Down ten and a half games with little more than a month to play, the Cardinals had long been ruled out as serious postseason contenders. Yet in the face of those s