The Man Watching: A Biography of Anson Dorrance, the Unlikely Architect of the Greatest College Sports Dynasty Ever by Tim Crothers Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Man Watching: A Biography of Anson Dorrance, the Unlikely Architect of the Greatest College Sports Dynasty Ever
Book Review: Be a Better Leader
Summary: 5 Stars
Gain inspiration for leadership in this well-written autobiography. Find your own style and develop yourself personally while you become a better leader.Book Review: The Man Watching: A Biography of Anson Dorrance
Summary: 5 Stars
If you coach or play any sport, want to improve your leadership capability, or just enjoy a well written biography, The "Man Watching" is an inspirational must read. The "dynasty" in women's soccer at UNC did not happen by accident and, other than the way Anson got the job, the architect, contrary to the title, was not "unlikely". Tim Crothers, in a very entertaining style, aptly dissects Anson's personality, coaching style, and leadership theories, using words from Anson's former players, colleagues, friends, enemies, opposing coaches and from Anson himself. The book almost reads like a mystery novel as you wonder how the women's soccer program at UNC could consistently attract and produce world class athletes, winning game after game, year after year, with different players, a small budget, and the primary constant being Anson Dorrance and his staff. Having coached soccer for about 17 years, the feat seems impossible until you read the book and the mystery is slowly unraveled. Book Review: Great Book
Summary: 4 Stars
Any coach of any sport needs to read this book. It explores different ways to coach and why you have to be your own person. Anson Dorrance talks about his philosophies on coaching and how they came about. Players talk about how things effect them and how to get through them. It discusses recruiting and how parents are part of a program. This book talks about relationships and how important they are between a player and a coach. It was great to see how unorganized and flighty Anson Dorrance can be about everything but the game. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about coaching not just a sport but people. Not to mention anyone just wanting to learn more about UNC soccer.Book Review: Anson's World
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Man Watching" is the definitive book on Anson Dorrance, coach of the most dominant team in the history of college sports - the University of North Carolina women's soccer team. Tim Crothers has done a masterful job of getting inside Dorrance's head, showing you how how he made the UNC soccer program in his own image - ultra-competitive, ultra-focused, but also irreverent. Dorrance is doing what he loves, his players (for the most part) are doing what they love, and he drives the country's best talent to also play harder than anyone else. Like other great coaches - Vince Lombardi comes to mind - Dorrance is obsessive, for better and for worse. He also has a sensitive side, which he calculatedly developed in order to better relate to his female players. Dorrance's intimate relationship (figuratively, not literally) with his players eventually resulted in a failed lawsuit against him by a former player, whose mother was bitter over her injury and the ouster of another player from the team. Crothers is at his best telling this painful tale. Other highlights of the book include the psychological profiles of Dorrance (from youth to the present), the critiques of Dorrance by his rivals and by former players, and the personal stories of many of his players, including Mia Hamm. I highly recommend this enjoyable read for sports fans, soccer players, soccer moms and dads, and coaches of any sport. Book Review: Absolutely superb
Summary: 5 Stars
Tim Crothers' stunning research into a fascinating subject has produced one of those "scorched-earth" biographies that are such a delight -- you know, the kind that make it impossible for anyone else to write something as good or as complete about the subject. This is a book that rightfully should find an audience both inside and outside the soccer community and will stand the test of time. I would place this book unhesitatingly alongside Dave Kindred's "Sound and Fury" (about Ali and Cosell) and Cramer's "Joe DiMaggio" as the 3 best sports biographies I've read over the past 5 years.