Sum It Up: A Thousand and Ninety-Eight Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant Losses, and a Life in Perspective

Great read! Perfectly written. Love the testimonials.

I really enjoyed reading this book. As I have been paying more and more attention to the women's side of the NCAA you couldn't help but be fixated on Geno and Pat Summit. Both of their teams were always so exciting to watch. I was always so enthralled watching Pat on the sidelines trying to inspire her team. When I learned about what happened to her and saw this book coming out I felt I really wanted to read it. I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it, but I got the sample on my kindle and right away at the end of it I purchased the book.I liked how down to earth she is in the telling of her story. How she simply wanted to play basketball and how her family helped make that happen for her. She wasn't running a 1 woman's equal rights campaign. She just wanted to play basketball and had to endure the system and prove that women's basketball was worth something.To say women's basketball isn't as good as men's is to say you just like superstars but you are not really a fan of the sport. Every sport is so different, you have low scoring sports, more physical sports. So the arguement that women's basketball is not good is just silly. Hearing it from her point of view and how little it was a woman's issue to her was really refreshing. She wasn't specifically looking for equality, she wanted to play the sport like she knew it should be played. How she used to play it with her brothers.She never apologizes for her drive and her will to succeed. She never apologizes for how she pushed her team to be better all the time. I found her success inspiring and as a manager of a team myself I found myself very focused on those aspects of the book. How do you inspire a team to be great? How do you inspire a team to do what you know they are capable of.I don't think she sugarcoats anything here about her success or her struggles. I felt I was reading her truth. I felt there was more in her struggle to understand her father and get his acceptance than she covered in this book but I know she was trying to get through a lot here. She didn't put in a lot of details about her husband and their divorce as well but I had the sense that she wanted to leave that out. Which is fine of course. This was her book and her story. She can focus on the parts she wants too. I just had the sense that there was more to those 2 men in her life (father and husband) that would of been interesting to explore.In my opinion there is a point in all auto-biographies where there is a bit of defensiveness. I have noticed it in many i have read and obviously it doesn't make me not read them. I feel it happens at the point that they get closer to current time. There is some glossing over of events. I felt it was in this book too and the reason for taking off of 1 star. I loved reading this book. Autobiographies should remain in the past. Once they reach the present I think its difficult for people to see objectively, or maybe its just a fear of revealing too much. I am not sure.I wish Pat so much luck with her struggle she is facing. I think she has a lot to be proud of in her life.

I've been meaning to get this book for a while now. I have Reach for the Summitt and Raise the Roof. Pat Summitt is my absolute favorite coach her diagnosis was so devastating to hear. Im sure she inspired everyone she met and people she hadn't including me. Continue resting in peace Coach Summitt well done ma'am.

Few role models in our society today exist like Pat Summitt. As a lifetime women's basketball fan, I've always admired Pat Summitt. As a young girl, my dream was to play for Pat because in the world of women's basketball in the late 80s and early 90s, Pat Summitt was THE coach in the game. My dream was to have those steely blue eyes glare deep in to my soul, rip me up and down and challenge me to pursue greatness.Regardless of whether you are a Pat fan, a women's basketball fan or even just a sports fan, this is an excellent read. The incredible integrity and intensity Pat Summitt lives out in all aspects of her life is a lesson we can all learn from. The challenges she faced and the way she paved the way for woman in sports, as well as the workplace in general, makes me incredible grateful. I feel more and more indebted to Pat and other woman like her (including my own mother) who opened the realm of possibilities to my generation as well as my daughters.If you've read her other two books, there is a certain amount of repetition, but this book goes deeper on a personal level and shares events that have transpired since her other two books. I've always respected that Pat shares not only her greatest triumphs, but the mistakes she's made and how she learned from them. This book includes all the above, showing us what it means to truly pursue excellence with grace and dignity.This is also an excellent gift for others. I purchased it for my mom as well as a friend of ours who does ministry to local coaches in our area.

Patricia Head Summitt is without a doubt a true American Heroine extraordinaire. She tells the story of her life like she was sitting down drinking a beer with you. She makes you laugh and shed a tear or two during the process. The example of true tough love from many angles is told in this story. Her father was a true example of tough love and Pat an example of the positive results. Pat’s tough love for her players as a coach, teacher, and mentor with winning results on the court and in life would be success enough for anyone. Then she shows her real metal as she battles MS. Interwoven in the story is the unbelievable climb that women in sports have made since the 1970s. Women basketball in high school was limited by state legislation in Tennessee to a half court waltz. "Girls were not strong enough to play basketball full court". Can you imagine? No funds were allotted to women’s college sports in the early 70s. They paid their own way for everything including shoes. No NIKE. A must read for all young women and young men. Anyone who is entertaining the thought of a coaching career can learn a life time of experience on handling athletes by reading this work. This will help them to understand how hard previous generations have worked to improve the quality of life for everyone in this country. The lesson of commitment to high standards, hard work, and mental fortitude abound in this story. Three cheers for Pat Head Summitt and her Lady Vols!!!

Pat Summitt is a special lady and coach, I would have loved to play for her. The book is a great read, as it tells the story of how she was so successful not just as a coach but as a person. Coming from a very poor background to the winningest coach male or female in the NCAA. It tells of how she is dealing with her diagnosis of Alzhiemers and making the choice not to give up. The writing is superb!

Really enjoyed this book from an amazing coach! It was great to hear how she is handling her alzheimers. I enjoyed reading her thoughts on many players I have watched through the years.

Inspiring how illness should not dictate how you live. Insightful look how coach Summitt made it to the top of the coaching profession.

Quite a lady!