First published 2019
Wright Thompson looks past the public personas of sports legends to find what really makes them tick. He gets Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Pat Riley, and Urban Meyer to open up about the forces that shaped their relentless pursuit of greatness. Thompson digs into their backgrounds and discovers patterns that connect these driven performers. Many had complicated relationships with their fathers. All paid steep personal costs for their success. Thompson combines deep sports knowledge with sharp psychological insight. He strips away the myths these athletes tell about themselves and shows readers the real people underneath. The book reveals how greatness gets built and what it destroys along the way. Thompson offers readers both entertainment and understanding of what separates champions from everyone else.
Genres: psychology, sports, non-fiction, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: behind-the-scenes, character-study
400 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books