Rating: 
Summary: Wow, what a great coach!
Review: I didn't know what to think of Bob Knight before I read this book but now I greatly admire him. Sure he's vulgar and aggressive, but he's a man who believes in athletics and academics. He does his job with all of the passion in his heart. I've read other things by Feinstein and I often find him to be unfair to people just for the sake of sensationalism; this holds true in this book. I take some things he says with a grain of salt for that reason. Read this book if you have a chance. The strongly convicted and impassioned among you will be huge Bob Knight fans by the end of it.
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary look at Knight -- it resonates a decade later
Review: I read this book more than 10 years ago and it sticks with me even today. This is a masterpiece that shows the mind, ethics, mania, honor, despite, loathesomeness, and honesty of Bob Knight. The same man who screamed at his kids until his face matched his ubiquitous red sweater is the same man who paid for Stew Robinson's final tuition credits (after the scholarship ran out) from his own pocket. The same coach who is mournful or enraged or both after a loss was preternaturally calm after his '86-87 team won the NCAA title stressing how great it was for the kids.The dichotomies of Knight are fascinating, and occasionally frightening. I was a Knight-hater before I read the book. I don't hate him, nor would I pretend to understand him. His self-view is highly nuanced and the depiction Feinstein gives reflects the complexities and contradictions of Knight, his program and the pressures of college basketball. This book is outstanding because of how much Feinstein reveals, perceives and transmits to the reader.
Rating:
Summary: Especially revealing after Knight's recent troubles
Review: I thought this book was great when I first read it as a teen-ager and I'm looking forward to re-reading it after the Neil Reed revelations. It is incredibly powerful because Feinstein doesn't pull any punches in portraying Knight as an excellent coach but really a power driven bully in a state and a university where he can get away with it. It's amazing that he hasn't completely unravelled between 1985 and present day.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautifully written
Review: I truly enjoyed reading this book. Feinstein gives you a great sense of the effort and emotions that takes place throughout one season. He does so well at writing about the daily grind that the coaches and players go through. I thought it was odd that we didn't get to hear from Feinstein as a writer following Knight around, but rather he was like an ethereal spirit floating around Knight. That was a good move because the core of the book is Bob Knight. He is such an enigma. In general I like the guy. He sounds like a great teacher and he has the results to prove it. He's also a caring guy who does not hesitate to do things for his friends and fans of Indiana basketball. But he's the kind of the guy that has to have everything go his own way. He needs control and Feinstein explains how he loses control from time to time. Some of it is purely mental play, but most is his emotions taking over. I want to see him succeed but he still has to work on avoiding dumb mistakes. He also has to realize that as long as he antagonizes the media, he will never be portrayed in a positive light even for a moment. Great book - sports fans and basketball fans must read this.
Rating:
Summary: Knight: Behind the Scenes
Review: In John Feinstein's year long journal following the Big Ten powerhouse, Indiana Hoosiers, he descriptively informs the reader exactly what happens everyday living and playing for the greatest and most controversial coach of all time, Bob Knight.
Rating:
Summary: Great Bob Knight story couched in so-so Feinstein writing
Review: In reading this book, two things jumped out at me. The first was that, to my surprise, the book made me like Bob Knight. After all he's been through and all the disapproval I felt for some of the things he did, I just didn't think I could like him. But, after reading this book, I think I understand him better and can see his good side as a coach and as a man much better. He's made some big mistakes, but he does a lot of good work and a lot of great coaching. The second thing that jumped out at me was what an ordinary job of writing John Feinstein did in this book. Yes, he reported what happened, and he used language I understood, but he just didn't write in an interesting style. Instead of developing characters on the team or among the staff to report around, he just basically ground out what happened. I had to push myself to finish the book even though I'm a big basketball fan and was highly interested in the story. This dullness surprised me because I hear Feinstein on the radio and see him on the tube frequently and almost always find him very entertaining and funny. Maybe he hadn't really developed as an author when he churned this one out. If you like basketball and have any interest in Bob Knight or Indiana, I'd say read this for sure. Just don't expect to be captivated by the writing.
Rating:
Summary: A great book about a great, but flawed, man
Review: It's been some years since I read the book, but I recall it vividly. I know that Bob Knight hated it and Feinstein, but I've always thought that the book is a fair portrayal of a great man who is not perfect (and who is). Just as many a man becomes a man from his Marine basic training, so does Bob Knight mould his boys into men, stressing what is important both on and off the court. I would love for my son to be coached by him. What harm are a few "F" words going to do? Another reason that I enjoyed the book so much is that I was a Cleveland State fan at the time and the Indiana season ends with a defeat at the hands of an unknown, but very talented, Cleveland State team.
Rating:
Summary: Road to Satisfaction
Review: Road To Satisfaction
A Season On The Brink shows the struggles of a great college basketball coach, Bobby Knight, to not have a losing season. The intensity of Bobby Knight can sometimes cause problems and hurt feelings. Knight tries to keep his poise during the 1986 season and clean up a little bit. The way things are going for a while really doesn't help him control his anger. Coming off from coaching possibly the best Olympic team, Knight expects nothing but the best for his Indiana Hoosiers.
The book can be repetitive at points while John Feinstein the author is explaining non-exciting games play by play; but the close games can get you caught up in the action. You can be thrilled at one minute and then picture yourself in the locker room during one of Bobby Knight's intense speeches after the game. Feinstein did a great job with the details of the whole season and that is why A Season On The Brink is a best seller.
---Sean Weakley
Rating:
Summary: Good Knight!
Review: The book "A Season on the Brink" written by John Feinstein is one of the most exciting sports books written about Coach Bobby Knight and Indiana basketball. Feinstein does a tremendous job depicting Coach Knight's attitude, uncontrollable behavior and sometimes bazaar psychological mind games to motivate his team to win. Throughout the 1985-86 season Coach Knight continues to struggle within to overcome the frustration he has with himself and his team. Twenty years later "A Season on the Brink" is an exhilerating read for any fan of Coach Knight and Indiana basketball. Feinstein does a wonderful job depicting Coach Knight's love for the game and the attitude to win at any cost to himself or the team. Throughout the book, Coach Knight is a person you love to hate. He has such a complex personality it's almost impossible to feel any different. Feinstein does an excellent job as well revealing all sides of the story to include the players, coaches, university officials, friends, enemies and the fans caught up in Coach Knight's world. "A Season on the Brink" gives you a behind-the-scenes look from the locker room to the basketball court with all the emotions that go with playing basketball at a college level in Indiana. This book is a must read for any basketball fan especially a Hoosier basketball fan.
Rating:
Summary: Good Knight!
Review: The book "A Season on the Brink" written by John Feinstein is one of the most exciting sports books written about Coach Bobby Knight and Indiana basketball. Feinstein does a tremendous job depicting Coach Knight's attitude, uncontrollable behavior and sometimes bazaar psychological mind games to motivate his team to win. Throughout the 1985-86 season Coach Knight continues to struggle within to overcome the frustration he has with himself and his team. Twenty years later "A Season on the Brink" is an exhilerating read for any fan of Coach Knight and Indiana basketball. Feinstein does a wonderful job depicting Coach Knight's love for the game and the attitude to win at any cost to himself or the team. Throughout the book, Coach Knight is a person you love to hate. He has such a complex personality it's almost impossible to feel any different. Feinstein does an excellent job as well revealing all sides of the story to include the players, coaches, university officials, friends, enemies and the fans caught up in Coach Knight's world. "A Season on the Brink" gives you a behind-the-scenes look from the locker room to the basketball court with all the emotions that go with playing basketball at a college level in Indiana. This book is a must read for any basketball fan especially a Hoosier basketball fan.
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