Driven from Within - Michael Jordan

    NEW YORK, Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- At the crossroads of the sports world
 and global culture, one name rises above all others:  Michael Jordan.  During
 his incredible career on the court, Michael Jordan won five MVP awards, set
 numerous NBA records, and led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championship
 titles.  He was also a member of the "Dream Team" that brought home the gold
 medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and reestablished the United States as
 the world's preeminent basketball power.  Beyond the court, he has won fame
 for his charisma, his business acumen, his commercial endorsements, and
 especially for his Nike Air Jordan shoes, inspired by his flying feet and
 above the rim game.
     Three years removed from his playing career and in celebration of the
 twentieth anniversary of Air Jordan, Michael Jordan reflects on his on and off
 court successes, including the creation of Brand Jordan, in Driven from Within
 (Atria Books; October 25, 2005; $35.00; Hardcover) edited by Mark Vancil.  The
 book includes vivid stories, anecdotes, drawings, and bold photographs that
 capture Jordan's exceptional combination of grace, grit, power, and artistry-
 all the stuff that makes Michael Jordan a basketball legend and worldwide
 icon.  Jordan introduces the reader to some of the people closest to him,
 including Dean Smith, the University of North Carolina coach who saw Michael's
 superstar potential and became like his second father; his mother, Delores
 Jordan; and Tinker Hatfield, the design genius behind 14 of the 20 Air Jordan
 shoes.
     In five anecdote and picture packed chapters highlighting his
 extraordinary career and life, Driven from Within affirms the values Michael
 Jordan lives by and demonstrates the power of collaboration and teamwork in
 building a global brand. Here are a few highlights, in Michael's words:
 
     * Earned.  Nothing of value comes without being earned   That's why great
       leaders are those who lead by example first ... I practiced hard every
       day because I wanted every one of my teammates to know what I expected
       out of myself.  If I took a day off, then I knew they would, too.  Just
       like my high school coach, Clifton "Pop" Herring, used to say: "It's
       hard, but it's fair."  I live by those words.
 
     * Uncompromised.  You have to be uncompromised in your level of commitment
       to whatever you are doing, or it can disappear as fast as it appeared
       ... Excellence isn't a one-week or one-year ideal.  It's a constant.
       There will be days when you don't feel on top of your game, or meetings
       in which you aren't at your best, but your commitment remains constant.
       No compromises.
 
     * Aspirational.  I couldn't have imagined everything that has happened.
       But dreams are like that.  That's what makes the journey so interesting.
       Put all the work in, and let the future emerge.  It's what I did on the
       basketball court.  I let the game come to me before I imposed my will
       ... Dreams are realized by effort, determination, passion and staying
       connected to that sense of who you are.
 
     * Authentic.  Authenticity is about being true to who you are.  If I am in
       a commercial, then I am going to be portrayed as the person I am, and
       certainly not someone created in a marketing meeting ... That's not me.
       That's not Brand Jordan.
 
     In every chapter, Michael Jordan offers examples of his values in action,
 on and off the court.  Fans will get the real story on his struggles as well
 as his many triumphs.  They'll also get a look inside the creative process at
 Nike, including the creation of Jordan XX, created to celebrate Jordan's
 20-year milestone of collaboration with the company.
     Driven from Within culminates with Michael Jordan's speculations on what
 the future holds.  "In all honesty, I don't know what's ahead," Michael Jordan
 reflects.  "If you ask me what I'm going to do in five years, I can't tell
 you.  This moment?  Now that's a different story."
     To publicize the book, Michael Jordan will appear on CBS-TV "60 Minutes"
 and "Oprah."  For reviewer copies, please call Alyson Mazzarelli at
 212-698-7090.
 
     About the Author:
     MICHAEL JORDAN, an NBA legend, virtually rewrote the record book.  Jordan
 led the Chicago Bulls to 6 NBA Championship titles and was named NBA Finals
 MVP during each of those series.  A 5-time regular season MVP, his 30.1 points
 per game average is the highest in NBA history.  His partnership with Nike has
 resulted in the Brand Jordan line of shoes and sports apparel.  Born in
 Brooklyn and raised in Wilmington, North Carolina, he lives in Chicago with
 his wife, Juanita, and their three children.
 
      Driven from Within
 
      by Michael Jordan, edited by Mark Vancil
      Published by:  Atria Books
      Pub Date:      October 25, 2005
      Price:         $35.00
      Pages:         208, with full-color photos and illustrations throughout
      ISBN:          0-7434-8400-3
 
     Atria Books is a division Simon & Schuster, the publishing operation of
 Viacom Inc. Simon & Schuster is a global leader in the field of general
 interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction
 for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and multimedia
 formats. Its divisions include the Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group,
 Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon &
 Schuster Online, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the
 United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at
 http://www.simonsays.com
 
 

SOURCE  Atria Books