Link: amzn.to/ADylNS

Grade: C-

L/C Ratio: 40/60
(This means I estimate the author devoted 40% of his effort to creating a non-fiction work of art and 60% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)

Thematic Breakdown:
40% - Overcoming tragedy
30% - Coaching
20% - Basketball
10% - Midwest community spirit

I consider Buster Olney to be one of the top sports reporters in America, so when I heard he had spent months writing a book about a Division-II college basketball coach, I assumed it was a story I couldn’t afford to miss.

And that’s where my disappointment with How Lucky You Can Be begins (the awkward title doesn’t help, either). Despite a devoted attempt by Olney to paint the life of coach Don Meyer as inspirational and magical, the book never managed to connect with me as a reader. Nonstop generic quotes from former players saying “he changed my life” and “I wouldn’t be where I am now without him” lose their zest pretty quickly. Then again, I’m sure my reaction to the book would have been different if the game of basketball had played a bigger role in my youth, or if I had a special relationship with a coach that was comparable.

Nevertheless, I took issue with coach Meyer’s prevailing philosophy and the way Olney treats it like gospel. In the book, everyone at Northern State University (which is ironically located in South Dakota) praises Meyer for the positive values he instills in his players. But then anytime Meyer’s wife or kids are mentioned in the text, Olney describes how Meyer’s overwhelming obsession with basketball led to him neglecting his own family for most of his coaching career.

Of course, the car accident that How Lucky You Can Be centers around gives Meyer a chance to reevaluate those broken relationships – but that moral conflict prevented me from buying into what were meant to be heartwarming moments.