HARD WORK A Life On and Off the Court

This memoir of University of North Carolina coach Roy Williams is far more than a basketball book. He traces his story from the poverty of his youth to the pinnacle of collegiate success, multiple NCAA basketball championships. The story is classic Southern Appalachian storytelling, reminiscent of the work of Rick Bragg. To satisfy the basketball fans, there’s lots of inside material on stars such as Michael Jordan. And the author's self-examination includes some of his shortcomings. Alan Winter narrates with enough of a drawl to make the account realistic but not so much that it makes understanding difficult. His pacing is easygoing and his tone is conversational, a style that makes the book speed along surprisingly quickly. R.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2009]