Riley’s ability to blend showboating individual players into a cohesive, selfless team is legendary. (Having Magic Johnson around didn’t hurt either.) But his straight-faced attempt to translate that into a formula for success in corporate America, municipal government-and your own family, too!-makes one long for those Fran Tarkenton motivational infomercials. Even in the cliche-rich literature of self-help guides to swimming with sharks, one-minute managing and succeeding at your own leveraged buyout, Riley’s The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players (G.P. Putnam’s Sons) ranks as a 271-page embarrassment. Its chief asset is very wide margins.
The book proposes an 11-step plan to glory in all of life’s pursuits. First, of course, is the Innocent Climb, which, of course, means “the first rustling of our proper selves.” Then comes one’s struggle with the Disease of Me, which “stages the most primitive assault on our own goodness” (though apparently never afflicts authors who have gratefully given of themselves for a mere $22.95 per copy-$29.95 in Canada). If you can hat, discover the ant, avoid Thunderbolts and the Choke and Complacency, then you can to Mastery and Unfortunately, one day the Covenant Cracks and you have to Move On, which should not be viewed as a “retreat from defeat.” but “an exhilarating change that makes you feel vital and alive,” which leads you all over again to a new Innocent Climb - and perhaps another book.
If all of this isn’t inspiration enough, Coach Riley highlights the narrative with quotes in the margin from Lincoln, Napoleon, Shakespeare and Jerry Garcia. Ever wonder why basketball stars like Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley spend so much time at the foul line before shooting? They’re probably trying to figure out what all these Rules for Living mean. Even in a world where Kathie Lee Gifford outsells John McPhee, it’s hard to believe that this sort of blather passes for helpful observation, let alone the motivational analysis that Riley promises. It may be that all the folks who bought “The Winner Within” -it’s No. 3 on The New York Times “how to” best-seller list this week –believed they might be getting some insights into the world of basketball. Yes, there is an occasional good story about Magic or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but that’s it.
And besides, the author passionately wants us to believe that this book is important, that it could guide the reader to “fulfillment of potential, to a lifetime of significance.” In an all-star lineup of book-jacket testimonials, David Halberstam informs us that “Pat Riley is in search of character and excellence-nothing less.” Keep searching, Pat.
