b o o k    r e v i e w s __________________________________________
 
C o a c h i n g   P r o f e s s i o n

The Portable Coach: 28 Surefire Strategies for Business and Personal Success, Thomas Leonard. Scribner, 1998. 

see review  One of the top three books in the coaching industry, The Portable Coach is filled with practical, challenging discussions on topics like boundaries, character, attraction, simplicity, values, vision, and finances.  But the real value in Thomas Leonard's 28 surefire strategies lies in its uncompromising assumption that we each take responsibility for our own lives. For the coach or prospective coach, this book is a must read.
(Reviewed by Marc Fey, marc@lifeascentcoaching.com, November 2001) 

Co-Active Coaching: New Skills For Coaching People Toward Success in Work and Life, Whitworth, Kimsey-House, Sandahl, 1998. 

see review  Co-Active Coaching presents a client-centered coaching model, discusses the coaching relationship between coach and client, overviews five key coaching skills (listening, intuition, curiosity, action/learning, and self-management).  The authors also give five outcomes for the coaching relationship: client fulfillment, client balance, client process, tips and traps, and a vision for the future.  Finally, I especially benefited from the discussion of the cornerstones of coaching (I'll let you buy the book to find out what those are; they're right there in the first chapter) and the Coach's Toolkit, a compendium of forms and exercises.
(Reviewed by Marc Fey, marc@lifeascentcoaching.com, November 2001).    

Everyone's a Coach, Don Shula with Ken Blanchard, HarperBusiness, 1995. 

see review  An easy read, co-writers Don Shula and Ken Blanchard marry the best of NFL coaching principles with the wisdom of business sage Ken Blanchard.  The authors address the following leadership qualities, which they refer to as secrets-- conviction-driven, overlearning, audible-ready, consistency, honesty-based (C.O.A.C.H.).  If you are a football fan or a student of leadership, or both--which is the case for me--, if it is not a profoundly insightful book, it is certainly practical and a very helpful book. (Reviewed by Marc Fey, marc@lifeascentcoaching.com, November 2001). 

Coaching for Performance, John Whitmore.  Nicholas Brealey Publishing Limited, 1996. 

see review   In Coaching for Performance, John Whitmore presents a practical overview of the coaching process.  His discussions on effective questions, goal-setting, and a working definition of performance are seamlessly weaved together. Whitmore combines psychological theory, like Maslow's hierarchy of needs, with practical coaching principles.  The emphasis on outcomes through a referring back to the metaphor of sports makes his  anecdotes, stories, and "fireside" wisdom a good read. Reviewed by Marc Fey, marc@lifeascentcoaching.com, November 2001). 

Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others, James Flaherty.  Butterworth-Heinemann, 1999. 

see review    Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others 

The Ascent of a Leader, Thrall, McNicol, and McElrath.  Jossey-Bass Publishing, 1999. see review coming soon