Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success Paperback – April 29, 2014

Very good book. If you like sports and are interested in how, arguably the best coach in basketball history, was able to create 2 dynasties, this is a must read.Phil Jackson takes you through his coaching career journey, sharing his leadership and people management skills. I enjoyed the way he recounts the championships from both the Chicago Bulls and the Lakers. I also liked the way he shared his thoughts about working with amazing basketball legends such as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Koby, Shaq, and many more.He shares his spirituality and how meditation helped building stronger teams.

Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success was just the right book for me to read. Two of my passions are learning about spirituality and following professional sports. Long time NBA coach Phil Jackson discusses both these topics in depth in his new autobiography, giving a behind the scenes look at Jackson's eleven nba championship teams.On the basketball side, I enjoyed reading stories of Jackson's rise from a high school basketball player in North Dakota to the NBA's New York Knicks, and his coaching stints with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. He tells stories of the star players he mentors, such as the Lakers Kobe Bryant. "When I'd first arrived in L.A., I'd encouraged Kobe to spend time with his teammates instead of hiding out in his hotel room studying videotape," Jackson recalls. "But he'd scoffed at the idea, claiming that all those guys were interested in were cars and women. (Soon) he was making an effort to connect more closely with his teammates and figure out how to forge them into a more cohesive team."Having long been a fan of NBA basketball I found Jackson's anecdotes about different high profile stars fascinating. In addition to Bryant, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O'Neal, Dennis Rodman and other players on Jackson's teams are profiled in the book. Jackson's love of the game comes through. "Some coaches are obsessed with winning trophies; others like to see their faces on TV," he writes. "What moves me is watching young men bond together and tap into the magic that arises when they focus--with their whole heart and soul--on something greater than themselves. Once you've experienced that, it's something you never forget."Equally intriguing was Jackson's spiritual journey. His mother and father were Pentecostal Christian ministers, a path Jackson almost followed himself. He was initially reluctant to play for the Knicks as he wanted to go to graduate school to become a pastor. Jackson's transformation from fundamentalist Christian to Zen Buddhist is described in detail in Eleven Rings. "I am anti lemming by nature. It goes back to my childhood, when I was force-fed religious dogma by my parents," he writes. "I was expected to think and behave in a rigidly prescribed manner. As an adult, I've tried to break free from that early conditioning and develop a more open-minded, personally meaningful way of being in the world."How Jackson applies his spirituality to the ego driven, competitive world of the NBA comes across in page after page in the book. "For a long time, I believed I had to keep my personal beliefs separate from my professional life," he recalls. "In my quest to come to terms with my own spiritual yearning, I experimented with a wide range of ideas and practices, from Christian mysticism to Zen meditation and Native American rituals. Eventually, I arrived at a synthesis that felt authentic to me. And though at first I worried that my players might find my unorthodox views a little wacky, as time went by I discovered that the more I spoke from the heart, the more the players could hear me and benefit from what I'd gleaned." He teaches his Bulls team mindfulness meditation and gives players books to read to aid in their spiritual development. He even describes his basketball strategies in spiritual terms, calling his unique triangle offense "five-man tai chi".If you are a fan of NBA basketball, you'll love Eleven Rings for Jackson's insights into the game. The book is equally valuable in profiling the coach as a highly successful professional living his spirituality in everyday life.

Phil Jackson was successful as a coach of eleven winning champion teams because he knew how to talk to his team. Certainly he was a great leader, but he also taught his players how to lead, to communicate and how to win.It takes a team to win a championship. We all know about the famous players, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'neill, but they can't win a game by themselves. Jackson has the wisdom and expertise to be able to see what each player needed from him. His observations of their egos and how to stroke them or reach them, drew them in. In one game, Jackson had a plan that Scottie Pippen didn't like. It was near the end of the game, and Jackson knew he had to have the team work together. He asked Pippin if he was in or out. Pippin said, "I'm out", so Jackson subbed someone else, and they won the game. Another player talked to Pippin after the game about his lack of teamwork. That was more effective than anything that Jackson could have done or said. Most of the book is filled with how the eleven games were won, and the players involved.Jackson is a spiritual man, and he employs the use of inspiration and Zen Buddhism to lead his life. He decided at one time he wanted to rest his mind and his soul, and through Zen he was able to Master his life. He would talk with his teams about Zen and yoga, and they would listen appreciatively. Jackson is a very intelligent man, reads a great deal, listens or attends TED discussions. He talks about his move from coaching in Chicago to Los Angeles. How he was able to get Kobe and Shaquille to work together for the team. He saw the advance in Kobe from a very selfish player to a leader. He takes some credit, but much of the success of the Lakers he attributes to the team working together.Jackson has thirteen championship rings. Eleven as a coach and two as a player. This is a man who has seen more championships than others, but is not as arrogant as depicted, he just does not have time to suffer fools. It was his physical body issues that caused him to stop coaching, a difficult but necessary decision. Phil Jackson deserves all the recognition he receives. A book well written by his co-writer, but the words are all Phil Jackson.Recommended. prisrob 02-11-14

If you're a basketball fan, this book is for you. This book dives deep into Phil Jackson's career. You learn about Phil Jackson's point of view about what happened in both the Michael Jordan era and Kobe Bryant era. It was very interesting to learn what happened during his coaching read. I don't want to spoil it but it's a must read if you're into basketball.

Easy to read book with so many examples of how to be a silent leader. Of course, Phil had many excellent subordinates that could, like MJ, change the game by themselves, but winning so many titles without a clear vision wouldn't be possible. Sports coaches give many examples of good leaders, and this book is an excellent position for someone who's trying to be a leader.

Es un muy buen relato de los principios que sigue Phil Jackson en el manejo de sus equipos, explicando a su vez los el estilo de los entrenadores que lo formaron.

One of the best autobiographies I've read. Phil Jackson is a clear example of success in the NBA - coaching two legendary teams, dealing with some of the world's best players and putting his ideas, methods and plans into action! It was nice reading about his life, his love for the game, his family and how he became a coach. It was nice seeing how he dealt directing the likes of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls. They were an unstoppable force in the 1980s. Despite the success and glories, there were ups and downs with the team - egos, injuries and when MJ left, Jackson pretty much wanted Scottie in a leading role and tried getting him to be more of a leader with MJ gone. When MJ returned, Jackson spoke about dealing with his return and how he managed to adjust Dennis Rodman to the Bulls. As well as the Bulls, he also coached the Lakers, dealing with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol etc. He clearly saw greatness in the young Kobe Bryant and tried getting him to be better than the troubled teen he was. Jackson proved himself a legendary coach due to winning 11 rings and he truly is a legend!Deffo recommend to basketball fans!

very interesting book showing the minset and the singular coaching approach of M. P Jackson.Remenbering his debut some used to say that M Jordan was the main part of the bulls success, and by far before his teammates and even his coach! Maybe the main acheivers of a championship are the one battling physically on the field. But P Jackson is proving with his book that coaching is much more than simply assist and witness other people's talent, so talented they might be like kobe shaq or Jordan.This book is not stressing much on basket or coaching theory. This is a book more about finding one's place as a coach or rather as a mentor higher and wiser above any battlefield such as the floor, the training camp, the media or any place where you need to handle turmoil that can threaten your chance of winning. Though he failed in his last quest for three peat, his coaching hability is worth the career review. He only has 11 rings but deserve a crown for his wisdom and his zen approach of life and basketball. Anyone can appreciate this book not only basketball fans.