John Wooden is considered to be one of the best coaches, leaders, and mentors of all-time. John Woodens best books are recommended by several prominent figures and many people regard them as “life-changing”.
While at UCLA for men’s basketball, he won ten total NCAA championships; including seven in a row at one point . John Wooden was a marvelous coach, but beyond that he was a spectacular person that taught many life lessons.
After retiring from coaching, John Wooden decided to start writing books and he provided us with some gems.
5 Best John Wooden Books That Will Change Your Life
These are John Woodens best books and they are also your manual to success.
If you have not read one of his books – now is the time to change that.
Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success
One of our favorite John Wooden books over here at College Athlete Insight is the Pyramid of Success. John Wooden lays out a very nice strategy to succeed as a coach, player, and person off the court.
You will remember many of the key components of the “success triangle” as Wooden makes sure they are memorable. This is not his best overall book, but a must read for high-school athletes and coaches striving for success.
It also lays a solid foundation for all of Wooden’s future books, which build off the ideas presented here. (Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success on Sale Here For $8).
Our Rating: 8.5/10
Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization
This book will teach you about how to achieve success on your respective team whether you are a coach, manager, player, or anyone else involved.
It provides many details and stories on how he garnered great success at UCLA, while offering insight on how you can do the same. This book is not just for athletes; as many successful business leaders have read this book and followed the strategies to better their organizations.
We would recommend this book to anyone who wants to contribute to their team and be a crucial part of the success. This book does repeat some of the main ideas from the “Pyramid of Success” listed above, but overall this book is flawless. (Get this Best-Selling Book Half-Off Here)
“Wooden On Leadership offers valuable lessons no matter what your endeavor. ‘Competitive Greatness’ is our goal and that of any successful organization.” – Jim Sinegal, president and CEO of Costco
Our Rating: 9.7/10
A Game Plan for Life: The Power of Mentoring
This book has been inspiring athletes and business people alike for some time now. After reading this book, all of us at College Athlete Insight had a group meeting and talked about people who mentored us over the years and the importance of them.
We then decided it was our responsibility to go out and help student-athletes in a greater way. Not only do we pride ourselves in helping high school athletes get recruited, but also mentor them on how to be successful in life.
John Wooden does repeat himself a little within the chapters, but this book is fabulous and even helped shaped College Athlete Insight’s agenda going forward. (Grab the book here for very reasonable price)
“My time learning from Coach Wooden–sitting and asking him questions, soaking up his answers–has provided some of the most significant lessons in my life. Any way that you can be mentored by a giant like him, including reading A Game Plan for Life, will provide great lessons for you, too.” – Pat Summit, Hall of Fame Women’s Coach
Our Rating: 8.3/10
Coach Wooden’s Leadership Game Plan for Success: 12 Lessons for Extraordinary Performance and Personal Excellence
This book will teach you valuable lessons about how to succeed in whatever you have a passion for. Whether that is a sport, your job, or having meaningful relationships with your peers.
This book provided us here at College Athlete Insight with some of our core values we work, live, and stand by. Many businesses and teams stand by the principles you will take from this magnificent book.
If you are a leader, manager, or looking to become one then this book will take you far in life. (Get the book here)
“Each member of your team has the potential for personal greatness; the leader’s job is to help them achieve it.” – John Wooden (quote from the book)
Our Rating: 9.3/10
Bonus Book: The College Recruiting Guidebook
The college recruiting guidebook is the ultimate manual to earning an athletic scholarship for student-athletes and parents.
How would a $50,000/year athletic scholarship change your families life?
Inside the guidebook you’ll have access to:
- step-by-step instructions freshman through senior year
- every single college coaches email in the country (broken up by division and school)
- sample email/dm/text templates you can use
- a manual for parents on how to negotiate scholarships/financial aid with college coaches
- access to an array of bonuses you won’t find anywhere else
Parents will pay $20 just for admission in to their kids game. You can get this guidebook for the same price.
The college recruiting guidebook could literally change your families future!
Coach Wooden’s Greatest Secret
Although this book is not written by John Wooden himself we had to place it on this list. It gives you a great look from the outside on John Wooden himself and why he was able to be such a great coach, leader, and person.
It overviews a lot of the principles in his main books and could be a good summary if you’re interested in that. The only downside is the book does have some repetition to drive home the main agenda and it also has a somewhat misleading title.
This book serves as a great third-person perspective still relating to John Woodens best books just not written by the legend himself.
We still recommend it to anyone who wants to learn and understand why John Wooden was so successful and how you can incorporate it into your own life. (Book available here at a good price)
Our Rating: 7.8/10
My Personal Best: Life Lessons from an All-American Journey
My Personal Best is his view on all that he has accomplished and why he feels he succeeded as a coach, mentor, and person.
We loved this book as Wooden is very honest and does not come across as arrogant. He was such a successful person and one of the best ways to learn is by listening and observing other successful people.
If you want to be great at whatever you do then take some advice from John Wooden and read this book. (Available here)
“Most of what I know, what’s made me a smart man, has come from John Wooden.” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Basketball Hall of Famer
Our Rating: 9.1/10
*** 7 Must-Read Books for Athletes (recommended by coaches, trainers, and pro athletes)
Conclusion: John Woodens Best Books
It is strongly recommended that you pick at least one book from this list and read it yourself or buy it as a gift for someone special in your life. These were John Woodens best books so they will not disappoint and his concepts will change your life for the better.
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We hope you enjoyed this list. Feel free to comment your favorite John Wooden book below.
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