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: Raw, harsh, honest, and fair portrayal of the 'The General'
Review: There are few people in the athletic arena who evoke a greater difference of emotions than Robert Montgomery Knight, aka Bobby Knight. Knight, as coach of the University of Indiana Hoosiers, was a profane, loud-mouthed, temperamental individual who is frequently at odds with the administration and the media. He was also a hard-driven, fierce competitor who demanded the best out of his players and got it. This man, a walking contradiction, able to be intelligent and charming, but unable to control his temper, was unswervingly loyal to those around him and demanded the same in turn. He got it. Almost all who played for, or coached with, Knight still feel the strong bond with him that developed during their time there. The controversy of the last couple of years that led to his dismissal at the University of Indiana and subsequent hiring by Texas Tech University invites an examination of what drives the man. John Feinstein's seminal work "A Season on the Brink" does just that.
In 1985, Bobby Knight and Indiana were coming off the worst season in his tenure. It involved a number of blow-ups by Knight (including the famous chair-throwing incident) and the first time that a Knight-led team finished out of the NCAA tournament. After such a season where Knight was even questioning whether or not to continue coaching, it seemed highly unlikely that he would be receptive to Feinstein's project idea. Yet, surprisingly, Knight not only agreed to it, but he gave Feinstein unlimited to access to himself, the players, and all facets of the Indiana basketball program for the entire 1985-86 basketball season.
Given the degree of access granted, "A Season on the Brink" delivers in grand fashion on the promise of showing the true inside story of Indiana basketball and Bob Knight. What immediately jumps out at the reader, and remains a theme throughout the rest of the book, is that Knight is not the man of extremes as both supporters and detractors portray him. He is obviously a very-flawed man. Yet, he's extremely passionate about the sport he coaches and the players he affects. He hates losing more than anything in the world. Well, almost more than anything. Dishonesty and cheating upset him even more. Thus, more than just winning basketball games, Knight views his job as a way to prepare young men for life beyond college and beyond the court. Knight's almost perfect graduation rate for players is a testament to that. The strong bond those in his world feel towards him is another. Behind all the rants and yellings during games and in practices is the burning desire by Knight to see these young men become the best they can possibly be.
As this book shows, Knight frequently likes to use mind games (know as 'BK Theatre') to get through to his players. Much of his ranting is, indeed, an act. If his players were slacking off in practices, he would call them the worst bunch of players in the country and kick them off the court only to bring them back a short while later to resume the practice. Message sent! It was not uncommon for individual players, especially the starters, to draw Knight's ire and be called the worst player ever to play that position in Indiana history. Steve Alford, the All-American guard on that team (and the one that won the National Title a year later) would frequently be told this and that some player who previous played that position would never make the mistakes Alford did. Interestingly, enough, asking any of these former players about that and it would turn out that Knight said the exact same things to them.
The season was filled with ups and downs. There were dramatic highs like beating Notre Dame, and dramatic lows, like getting hammered by Michigan with the Big 10 Title on the line. Through this journey, the true Bobby Knight is revealed, warts and all. Yet, even as profane and belligerent man as he would seem on the surface, Feinstein's portrayal shows to be much more than that. He's human and he has his faults, but every one of his players would go to hell and back for him. That is the REAL Bobby Knight, and "A Season on the Brink" is a tribute to him in that regard.
Rating:
Summary: Raw, harsh, honest, and fair portrayal of the 'The General'
Review: There are few people in the athletic arena who evoke a greater difference of emotions than Robert Montgomery Knight, aka Bobby Knight. Knight, as coach of the University of Indiana Hoosiers, was a profane, loud-mouthed, temperamental individual who is frequently at odds with the administration and the media. He was also a hard-driven, fierce competitor who demanded the best out of his players and got it. This man, a walking contradiction, able to be intelligent and charming, but unable to control his temper, was unswervingly loyal to those around him and demanded the same in turn. He got it. Almost all who played for, or coached with, Knight still feel the strong bond with him that developed during their time there. The controversy of the last couple of years that led to his dismissal at the University of Indiana and subsequent hiring by Texas Tech University invites an examination of what drives the man. John Feinstein's seminal work "A Season on the Brink" does just that.
In 1985, Bobby Knight and Indiana were coming off the worst season in his tenure. It involved a number of blow-ups by Knight (including the famous chair-throwing incident) and the first time that a Knight-led team finished out of the NCAA tournament. After such a season where Knight was even questioning whether or not to continue coaching, it seemed highly unlikely that he would be receptive to Feinstein's project idea. Yet, surprisingly, Knight not only agreed to it, but he gave Feinstein unlimited to access to himself, the players, and all facets of the Indiana basketball program for the entire 1985-86 basketball season.
Given the degree of access granted, "A Season on the Brink" delivers in grand fashion on the promise of showing the true inside story of Indiana basketball and Bob Knight. What immediately jumps out at the reader, and remains a theme throughout the rest of the book, is that Knight is not the man of extremes as both supporters and detractors portray him. He is obviously a very-flawed man. Yet, he's extremely passionate about the sport he coaches and the players he affects. He hates losing more than anything in the world. Well, almost more than anything. Dishonesty and cheating upset him even more. Thus, more than just winning basketball games, Knight views his job as a way to prepare young men for life beyond college and beyond the court. Knight's almost perfect graduation rate for players is a testament to that. The strong bond those in his world feel towards him is another. Behind all the rants and yellings during games and in practices is the burning desire by Knight to see these young men become the best they can possibly be.
As this book shows, Knight frequently likes to use mind games (know as 'BK Theatre') to get through to his players. Much of his ranting is, indeed, an act. If his players were slacking off in practices, he would call them the worst bunch of players in the country and kick them off the court only to bring them back a short while later to resume the practice. Message sent! It was not uncommon for individual players, especially the starters, to draw Knight's ire and be called the worst player ever to play that position in Indiana history. Steve Alford, the All-American guard on that team (and the one that won the National Title a year later) would frequently be told this and that some player who previous played that position would never make the mistakes Alford did. Interestingly, enough, asking any of these former players about that and it would turn out that Knight said the exact same things to them.
The season was filled with ups and downs. There were dramatic highs like beating Notre Dame, and dramatic lows, like getting hammered by Michigan with the Big 10 Title on the line. Through this journey, the true Bobby Knight is revealed, warts and all. Yet, even as profane and belligerent man as he would seem on the surface, Feinstein's portrayal shows to be much more than that. He's human and he has his faults, but every one of his players would go to hell and back for him. That is the REAL Bobby Knight, and "A Season on the Brink" is a tribute to him in that regard.
Rating:
Summary: How the game has changed
Review: There is no better explination about the way the sport of college basketball has changed, while Knight has stayed the same, then when you read that he once told the Indiana team, "Quinn Buckner would have hit somebody by now !" You have to wonder if at a Texas Tech practice this year he'll stop everything and yell, "Damon Bailey would have hit somebody by now." only to have one of the players say, "don't you mean Quinn Buckner ??
Rating:
Summary: Loyalty, dedication, honesty, discipline, and hard work
Review: These are just some of the qualitites that The General exhibits and imparts to his players. I'm sorry to say it, but IU is one of the last honest programs around. Don't go to class, you don't play. Players leave Knight's program a better person. And there is not a more loyal person on the face of the Earth than R.M.K. I'll admit, the game may be passing him by, but it is a shame that it is. When Knight's coaching and teaching methods are "out of style," it is a bad sign for college basketball.
Rating:
Summary: Quite a Knight
Review: This book is one of the best-selling sports books of all time for a simple reason-it is one of the best sports books ever written. For one year, Bob Knight allowed John Feinstein unbelievable access to his practices, games, locker room talks, private meals, and all other facets of his life, and the author did a wonderful job putting all of his evidence together to describe the maniacal coach and the world of top-level college basketball. Coach Knight is a character who could not be imagined by a novelist because he is too complex. Throughout the book he proves to be one of the most loving, hating, bullying, charming, objectionable, and compassionate men you have ever encountered. His personality alone is a fascinating story and Feinstein does an excellent job of presenting all sides of the story to readers, but the story also includes the players, coaches, university officials, friends, and enemies who live within Knight's sphere, and each of them adds their unique and interesting perspective to the book. By focusing on the ups and downs of the 1985-86 Indiana University basketball season, Feinstein is able to put all of these people into context and makes an excellent drama out of what is on the surface little more than a sports biography. This is a great book about a brilliant coach and no true college basketball fan should miss the chance to read it.
Rating:
Summary: a harrowing experience
Review: This book should have been called "A Season With A Fink." On the good/bad scale, the bad side is now weighing heavily against Bobby Knight these days. It is like Knight is saying, "Who you gonna believe, me or your own eyes?" Still, this book is a classic portrait of one of the classic sports personalities - for better or worse.
Rating:
Summary: The best sports book I have ever read!
Review: This is a fascinating look into the genius and the madness that is Bob Knight. Feinstein details what its like to play for the demanding hall of fame coach. He takes you behind the scenes and into the locker room. Once I started, I could not put this book down. This book is a must for any basketball fan
Rating:
Summary: This book gives you a great impression of what life with BK.
Review: This is a great book which tells you alot about bob. The author doesn't hold anything back from you and he lets you know of everything. READ IT TODAY!!
Rating:
Summary: Just Read It!
Review: This is one of the classics of sports literature. 16,441 on the Amazon best seller list! Come on folks, this is reference material for anyone who claims to be a college hoops fan. Get behind the scenes of one of the most infamous coaches of all time. Gives a very strong sense for the life and experiences of players on a blue chip hoops program. I'm absolutely not joking, this is a must read for sports fans. Feinstein's the best documentary sports writer of our time and this book is the crown jewel of his works.
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