Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski by Ian O'Connor

 

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The definitive biography of college basketball’s all-time winningest coach, Mike Krzyzewski
 
Mike Krzyzewski, known worldwide as “Coach K,” is a five-time national champion at Duke, the NCAA's all-time leader in victories with nearly 1,200, and the first man to lead Team USA to three Olympic basketball gold medals. Through unprecedented access to Krzyzewski’s best friends, closest advisers, fiercest adversaries, and generations of his players and assistants, three-time New York Times bestselling author Ian O’Connor takes you behind the Blue Devil curtain with a penetrating examination of the great, but flawed leader as he closes out his iconic career.
 
Krzyzewski  built a staggering basketball empire that has endured for more than four decades, placing him among the all-time titans of American sport, and yet there has never been a defining portrait of the coach and his program. Until now. O’Connor uses scores of interviews with those who know Krzyzewski best  to deliver previously untold stories about the relationships that define the venerable Coach K, including the one with his volcanic mentor, Bob Knight, that died a premature death. Krzyzewski was always driven by an inner rage fueled by his tough Chicago upbringing, and by the blue-collar Polish-American parents who raised him to fight for a better life. As the retiring Coach K makes his final stand, vying for one more ring during the 2021-2022 season before saying goodbye at age 75, O’Connor shows you sides of the man and his methods that will surprise even the most dedicated Duke fan.  

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Ian O'Connor's Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski is a fabulous look into the leader of Duke basketball. 

Having been a fan of Duke basketball and Coach K for most of his time at the elite program, I was thrilled and honored at the chance to review this book. 

This book is an absolute must read for any fans of Duke and Coach K. The author does a wonderful job looking back through the coach's career; thoroughly revisiting many of the important moments of his career. 

As a Duke fan, this book carries me back to the highs and lows of Coach K's time at Duke. I cried many times, as the author brought me fully back to some emotional wins and losses through the years. 

This is a look at many pivotal moments. From the start of his own basketball career, to his time at Army, and his rough start at Duke, this is a fantastic read. Many important games are discussed, many former players and coachs are talked about, as well as the way Coach K had to adapt through the years. 

I love this book. It takes me back to some moments I will never forget. It reminds me of the way the game has changed over the years, with Coach K right there adapting throughout. 

This Coach K book is a great way to honor a legend as he's about to retire. Love him or hate him, he has had an insurmountable impact on the sport over the years. His name will forever be up there as one of the greats. I enjoyed every moment of this look back at his journey. 

The Rural Diaries: What Moving to Mischief Farm Taught Me About What Really Matters in Life, Love, and Making Dandelion Wine by Hilarie Burton

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The beloved actress and star of One Tree Hill, White Collar, and Lethal Weapon, Hilarie Burton, tells the inspiring story of leaving Hollywood for a radically different kind of life in upstate New York with her husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan—a celebration of community, family, and the value of hard work in small town America.

While Hilarie Burton’s hectic lifestyle as an actress in New York and Los Angeles gave her a comfortable life, it did not fulfill her spiritually or emotionally. After the birth of their first son, she and her husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the star of The Walking Dead, decided to make a major change: they bought a working farm in Rhinebeck, New York, and began a new chapter in their lives.

The Rural Diaries chronicles her inspiring story of farm life: chopping wood, making dandelion wine, building chicken coops. Burton looks back at her transition from urban to country living—discovering how to manage a farm while raising her son and making friends with her new neighbors. She mixes charming stories of learning to raise alpacas and buying and revitalizing the town’s beloved candy store, Samuel’s Sweet Shoppe with good friend Paul Rudd and his wife Julie, with raw observations on the ups and downs of marriage and her struggles with infertility. Burton also includes delicious recipes that can be made with fresh ingredients at home.

Burton’s charisma, wide eyed attitude, and fortitude—both internal and physical—propels this moving story of transformation and self-discovery. The Rural Diaries honors the values and lifestyle of small-town America and offers inspiration for anyone longing to embark on their own unconventional journey.

The Rural Diaries includes 16 pages of color photographs. 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

The Rural Diaries is an emotional and heart-felt autobiography by actress Hilarie Burton Morgan. Having loved her acting on One Tree Hill and White Collar, I was excited to get a chance to review this book. 

The beauty of this book lies in the fact that, although it is a memoir, it never feels like the typical autobiography.

The author delves into a whole lot of personal issues, that had me compelled and emotional drained throughout. She discusses the sexual abuse problems in Hollywood, and far too many issues she and her husband, actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan, experienced with struggling to become pregnant, miscarriages, and more. She had me shedding many tears on her behalf. I cried about the abuse. I cried about the pregnancy problems. I cried about the effects her fertility issues had on her relationship. And I cried about her ability to overcome all her hardships. 

Hilarie brilliantly brings the atmosphere of small town America to the reader. I personally love the way that she found herself, as well as love and peace, by being in a small town and one with the land. Being personally familiar with small towns in Upstate NY, she perfectly brings all the beauty, isolation, and sense of community that exist in such places to light. 

If you are a fan of Hilarie or her husband Jeff, this book is a must read. If you're a fan of memoirs, this is a must read. And if you are a fan of raw and real memoirs, this is a must read. 

The Rural Diaries is an open and honest look at life in a small town. Hilarie shows her bravery in opening up about her flaws, her struggles, and how life as an actress, and life as the wife of an actor, comes with many downfalls. It is both a wonderful story that is well written and absolutely compelling.