One of the greatest coaches of all time makes the argument for realistic preparation—in sports and in life—as an antidote to thoughtless optimism and wishful thinking.

Even before Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking, Americans were famous for their optimism. But there are two sides to any contest—and there’s always a loser, no matter how much positive thinking occurs on both sides.

In this pragmatic and inspirational book, legendary firebrand Coach Bob Knight, the second-winningest coach in NCAA history, turns conventional thinking on its head. Famous for turning even the unruliest players into focused, disciplined teammates, Knight argues that the greatest leaders anticipate and prepare for a negative scenario. They succeed by expecting things to go wrong at any moment, and by building a realistic strategy that takes all potential obstacles into account.

Knight uses fascinating behind-the-scenes examples from his long career to convey the power of negative thinking in sports, business, and life. While it might ruffle feathers—and nobody ruffled feathers like Coach Knight—negative thinking achieves positive results.