Out of print for more than 30 years, now available for the first time as an eBook, this is the controversial story of John Wooden's first 25 years and first 8 NCAA Championships as UCLA Head Basketball Coach. This is the only book that gives a true picture of the character of John Wooden and the influence of his assistant, Jerry Norman, whose contributions Wooden  ignored and tried to bury.

Compiled with more than 40 hours of interviews with Coach Wooden, learn about the man behind the coach. The players tell their stories in their own words.

Click the book to read the first chapter and for ordering information. Also available on Kindle.

St. Vincent (8/10)

by Tony Medley

Running Time 102 minutes.

OK for children.

Remember Rene Zellweger’s line in Jerry Maquire (1996), “You had me with hello?” Well Melissa McCarthy had me with Identity Thief (2013). Even though it’s the only good movie I’ve ever seen her in, that’s how I think of her.

This could be her best performance ever. She plays Maggie, the mother of Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher, in his debut), her 12 year-old adopted son, who move in next door to a cantankerous older man, Vincent (Bill Murray). In addition to being cantankerous, he’s an alcoholic and also addicted to gambling.

Maggie is forced to leave Oliver in Vincent’s care while she goes to work to support them, much to Vincent’s displeasure. But Oliver and Vincent forge a bond, Oliver understanding him as nobody else does, and Vincent grudgingly becoming Oliver’s mentor.

Just because I started out talking about McCarthy, this is really Murray’s movie. He gives a brilliant, award-quality performance as a complicated man. Lieberher, only 11 years old, however, is what makes the movie work. He is a remarkably gifted actor for one of such tender years. . Naomi Watts adds enormously to the film with an out-of-character role as Vincent’s Russian prostitute, who also happens to be pregnant.

Written and directed by Theodore Melfi, this is a rewarding, poignant, funny movie.