1
The philosophers and their influences Clive Woodward Paddi Lund was an Australian dentist who turned his life around after contemplating suicide. In a 2002 speech Woodward explained the influence that Lund’s Building the Happiness-centred Business had had on his own style of management Adrian Boothroyd Has said that Michael Lewis’s book about base- ball, Moneyball, taught him that ‘everyone is in the matrix of what a footballer looks like, but when you get down to it – the stats of it – the question is what does he actually do’ John Buchanan The Australian cricket coach left a 10-page memo filled out with the fifth-century BC Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu’s aphorisms and their significance for Test cricket under the hotel doors of his players during the 2001 Ashes tour Eric Cantona The Manchester United striker said the poet Rimbaud was his hero: ‘[He] wanted to seek flashes of inspiration, to enjoy different ideas and live with different philosophies. I believe in that’ Jonny Wilkinson has been influenced by the work of Robin Sharma, above right: ‘It makes me happy enough to be proud of who I am’ W hat do Jonny Wilkin- son, Brian O’Dris- coll and Justin Langer have in common? Come to think of it, what do they also share with Ian Holloway, Steve Borthwick, Mikael Forssell and New York Mets star Carlos Delgado? The not-so-obvious answer is a common taste in literature. Or rather, one book in particular. That book is The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, by Robin Sharma. During the rugby union World Cup, Wilkinson admitted that he had become intrigued by Buddhism: “[Its] principles have been fascinating and there were shared principles from writers such as Robin Sharma and Deepak Chopra. How does all that impact on a game of rugby? I can’t answer that. All I know is it’s enough to help me to proceed in a way that makes me happy enough to go out there and be proud of who I am and what I hope I can bring to this team.” Last week, in an inter- view with The Times, he con- firmed that The Monk Who . . . had been on his reading list. He wasn’t the only fan in the England squad. Bath lock Borthwick has also enthused about its “lessons in life, lessons in development”. Naturally, the book has, on the surface, nothing to do with sport. Subtitled “A Fable About Fulfill- ing Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destiny”, however, its appeal to the more philosophical sportsman looking for a mental edge and spiritual enlighten- ment is not so hard to under- stand. The novel, if it can be called that, tells the story of Julian Mantle, a lawyer with little more in his life than his career and the enormous wealth it brings. But a heart attack forces Mantle to reappraise his life. Cue the rejec- tion of worldly possessions and a trek through the Himalayas, where gurus are helpfully on hand to offer such pearls of wisdom as: “What lies behind you and what lies before you is nothing compared to what lies within you,” and: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experi- ence.” In short, it slots neatly into a burgeoning sector of the 21st- century books trade: self-help, therapy, new-age mysticism — call it what you will. It also caters to sportsmen who fancy adding a cerebral side to their profile (remember Tony Adams’s post- retirement “renaissance man” phase?). Unsurprisingly, Ama- zon’s “customers who viewed this item also viewed” list shows up Paolo Coelho’s novel The Alchemist, which proved a big hit a few years back (it is Everton midfielder Lee Carsley’s favour- ite book). Delgado described The Monk Who . . . as the one of the most inspirational books he has read — although we’re not sure if he was choosing from a particularly long list. Langer was no less effusive, telling this newspaper: “My wife and I were staying at Matty Hayden’s beach house on Stradbroke Island about four or five years ago and she went into a local bookshop and found it and bought it for me. I read it in a weekend. It was a life-changing experience. It made me re-assess how I approached life and my cricket. I’m sure my game improved as a result. I passed it on to Matty too. I have read Robin Sharma’s subsequent two books. In fact I gave a speech to a business conference just the other week and found myself quoting a lot of what he has written. Is Jonny Wilkinson a fan as well? That’s interesting.” Langer is a martial arts black belt and has often spoken about his penchant for meditation; while Wilkinson, not being a drinker, has to have something to keep himself occupied outside rugby. So their interest is perhaps not surprising. More curious is that of Mikael Forssell. The former Chelsea striker said of it: “Books like that keep your mood up. You have to have your priorities in life.” He added with an honesty one doesn’t usually associate with a footballer: “If your motive for playing football is getting a fast car, then I don’t think that’s right.” Does Forssell’s endorsement signify that footballers are becom- ing more discerning in their read- ing habits? Or, perhaps more likely, are they simply develop- ing reading habits? The annual Reading Stars survey asking one player from each Premier League club to name his favour- ite book threw up some interest- ing nominations this year. There were the usual suspects from the sporting world — peren- nial favourite It’s Not About The Bike, by Lance Armstrong, was in there courtesy of Manchester City’s Nedum Onuoha, and Tim Cahill was a fan of Shane Warne’s autobiography. Less predictably, Jens Lehmann went for The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini’s 2003 novel set in Afghanistan, and Watford’s Malky Mackay nominated The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Glad- well. Mackay may well have been tipped off by his manager, Adrian Boothroyd, who, along with Alan Pardew, is a fan of Gladwell. Then came the news this month that Wayne Rooney has hired a tutor to help him study for his English and maths GCSEs. Rooney hopes to pass his exams next year. So we look forward to his entry on the sur- vey next spring. The Manchester United player has said he likes nothing more than to sing along to the film Oliver! Maybe some- one will tell him there is also a book based on the musical. THE SUNDAY TIMES Mega zoom binoculars offer JR236 I enclose a cheque/postal order(s) made payable to: THE SUNDAY TIMES DIRECT Mega zoom binoculars offer JR236 Value £ Please write name and address on back of all cheques. Or please debit my Switch/ Maestro or Visa/MasterCard: Start date Expiry date Issue no Signature To order, call 020 7722 1476 quoting JR236 Mr Mrs Miss Ms Other First name Surname Address Postcode DOB (dd/mm/yy) Daytime contact number Mobile phone number* E-mail* @ Offer available in the UK only. Allow 21 days for delivery. If dissatisfied, please return goods within seven days of receipt for a full refund. No claims for loss in transit can be made after 60 days. Offer is subject to availability. Overseas orders call for a quotation for postage.*By supplying your e-mail address and mobile phone number you are happy to receive offers via e-mail/SMS from or in association with Times Newspapers Limited.Times Newspapers Limited directly (or via its agents) may mail or phone you about new promotions, products and services. Tick if you don’t want to receive these from us [ ] or carefully selected companies [ ] (see our privacy policy at www.nidp.com). Send this coupon and remittance to: THE SUNDAY TIMES DIRECT Mega zoom binoculars offer JR236, 24 Northways Parade, College Crescent, Swiss Cottage, London NW3 5DN ITEM QTY PRICE TOTAL Mega zoom binoculars £199.99 Free P&P UK only TOTAL Sunagor’s 25-150x70 binoculars can quickly zoom from 25 to a phenomenal 150 times magnification while providing a crystal clear view. This massive power is particularly suitable for very long distance use. Manufactured in Japan to the highest standard, they are of BCF one-piece construction and are rubberised for durability. They feature high-quality multi-coated optics and BAK-4 prisms and have fold-down rubber eyecups to suit spectacle wearers plus a one eye-piece dioptre adjustment to suit individual eyesight. They measure 24.5 x 19.5cm, weigh 1.4kg and come complete with case, neck strap, polishing cloth, tripod adapter, instruction manual and 10-year warranty. Note that stocks are limited. Zoom from 25-150x magnification instantly Special offer price of £199.99 half the rrp of £399.99 From Sunagor – the world’s most powerful mega zoom binoculars To book or for a brochure, call 0844 412 9730 quoting SUT/8CWF/JR305 Price includes: • FREE parking at Falmouth or complimentary coaching from selected areas • 29 nights’ accommodation on board the MV Van Gogh • En-suite cabin with air-conditioning and colour television • Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and late-night snacks on board • Visit to 12 wonderful ports of call • All onboard gratuities included • Live West End style entertainment • Services of the ship’s friendly English-speaking crew and team of Travelscope staff Enjoy the Caribbean and experience palm-fringed beaches, dramatic rainforests and a turquoise blue sea. Cruise to the sun-kissed islands of Antigua, St Lucia, Barbados and Guadeloupe taking advantage of this truly amazing experience. Departing: April 5 and November 22, 2008 Operated by Travelscope, ATOL 4555 ABTA V5060, a company independent of Times Newspapers Ltd. Full terms and conditions apply. Based on two sharing an inside cabin.*Valid for bookings received prior to February 29, 2008. April 5, 2008 £200 discount, November 22, 2008 £100 discount. Caribbean sunshine cruise Caribbean sunshine cruise 30 days from £2,099pp plus receive up to £200 discount * 30 days from £2,099pp plus receive up to £200 discount * n Nick Greenslade Bedtime Bedtime reading reading Russell Cheyne 1I read it in a weekend and it changed my life. It made me reassess cricket too2 An unlikely source of inspiration is driving the likes of Jonny Wilkinson and Justin Langer 2 . 28 SPORTING INFLUENCES DECEMBER 2, 2007 THE SUNDAY TIMES
