The Assist: Hoops, Hope, and the Game of Their Lives
by Neil Swidey
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Book Summary Information
Author: Neil SwideyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-11-11
ISBN: 1586486667
Number of pages: 392
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Book Reviews of The Assist: Hoops, Hope, and the Game of Their Lives
Book Review: More Than a Game
Summary: 5 Stars
Neil Swidey's THE ASSIST chronicles three years in the life of coach Jack O'Brien and the players of Charlestown HS in Boston. O'Brien is a minature high school version of a young Bobby Knight--obsessive, compulsive, and brilliant. It is his way or no way. And the results, at least the wins, are a staggering five state championships. But like the "rabbit hunter" that Knight has always been, so O'Brien never knows when to let something drop. His greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. Swidey did his job as a writer when you realize that half the time you loathe this coach and the other half of the time you respect him.
But, as many have said, this is more about life in the inner city than about basketball. The young men who are his players are so overwhelmed with the disfunctional nature of their family lives combined with the violence of the streets that O'Brien's controlled environment becomes something of a safe haven. This is their way out. But even when they make it out, they struggle because they have become accustomed to his constant oversight.
The book ends with the bizarre situation of O'Brien stepping down as the coach and then wanting his job back. It that sense the book ends in an unsatisfactory manner. But, in another sense, it's the perfect ending in that there are no easy solutions at Charlestown.
Summary of The Assist: Hoops, Hope, and the Game of Their Lives
Jack O?Brien is a high school basketball coach extreme in both his demands and his devotion. With monastic discipline, he has built a powerhouse program that wins state championships year after year while helping propel players to college. He does this as a white suburban guy working exclusively with black city boys who make the daily trek across Boston to attend Charlestown High School, where the last battles of the city?s school desegregation wars were fought a generation ago.
The Assist is a gripping, surprising story about fathers, sons, and surrogates, all confronting the narrow margins of urban life. The book follows the players on their hunt for a state title. But it also stays with them, to see how young men who seldom get second chances survive without their coach hovering over them—and how he survives without them.
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