Out of print for more than 30 years, now available for the first time as an eBook, this is the controversial story of John Wooden's first 25 years and first 8 NCAA Championships as UCLA Head Basketball Coach. This is the only book that gives a true picture of the character of John Wooden and the influence of his assistant, Jerry Norman, whose contributions Wooden  ignored and tried to bury.

Compiled with more than 40 hours of interviews with Coach Wooden, learn about the man behind the coach. The players tell their stories in their own words.

Click the book to read the first chapter and for ordering information. Also available on Kindle.

Anniversary (8/10)

by Tony Medley

117 Minutes.

R

In theaters.

This is a disturbing film about the disintegration of what starts out to be a close-knit, loving family. Ellen, a college professor, and Paul, a restaurant owner (Diane Lane and Kyle Chandler), are the parents of a family consisting of three daughters Anna (Madeline Brewer), a successful, rebellious, queer stand-up comedienne; Cynthia (Zoey Deutch), an environmental attorney; Birdie (Mckenna Grace), a sensitive teenager. The second oldest is Josh (Dylan O’Brien), a mediocre writer who has a close relationship with his mother, Ellen.

As they gather to celebrate Ellen and Paul’s 25^th wedding anniversary, Josh brings along Liz (Phoebe Dynevor) as his date. It turns out that Liz had been Ellen’s student at Georgetown University and had written an inflammatory, indeed traitorous, paper that Ellen didn’t like and Ellen basically forced her out of Georgetown.

Two years later Josh and Liz are married and Liz has published a book, “The Change,” that lit a fire around the country, advocating for one party rule. Ellen, a patriot who cherishes the Constitution, hates the book and doesn’t like Liz too much, either. Josh is a staunch supporter of his wife.

Directed by Jan Komasa from a script by Lori Rosene-Gambino, it checks most of the requirements for casting in today’s Hollywood, at least one gay character and at least one mixed race marriage, none of which has anything to do with the story. It also has prolific, casual smoking so I can only assume that tobacco companies had something to do with financing unless the filmmakers just want to encourage people to smoke, as they did for so many decades in the 20^th Century, where virtually every movie showed people lighting up. But for that, I would have given it close to a 10 because the directing and acting are outstanding and the tense story inexorably grows more dystopian as it slowly dissolves into its climax.

When I watch a film on a link in my office, as I did this one, I often pause it to do other things and come back to it, but I couldn’t tear myself from this one as it had me captivated.