Jack Ralston is the author of The Sports Insider: A Life Among Champions (Allen & Unwin, $36.99)
The book I love most is... Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk To Freedom - a man who was a rebel, ready to use a gun in the fight for freedom, who found forgiveness in his heart, and led a nation. A cunning and creative man to get the RWC ’95 and the Springbok to unite whites, coloureds and blacks into the rainbow nation. It was an honour to spend time with him saving the Springbok on the jersey.
The book I'm reading right now is... Onward by Howard Schultz, an amazing man who started Starbucks. This is the story about how Schultz made a comeback in 2005 and took control again. It is inspiring as the company was in crisis and he turned it around without losing the heart and soul of Starbucks.
The book I'd like to read next is.... anything by Steve Berry. Always suspenseful, his books grip you for a hectic ride, with action from start to finish. I actually lived for a short time in one of the villages he mentioned in The Templar Legacy.
My favourite bookshop is....When I was at Nike HQ, living in Portland Oregon, it was Powell’s bookshop for its amazing range and number of books, great coffee and relaxed environment. But my favourite Kiwi browse is the lovely little Matakana Bookshop below the movie theatre. Great management and a wonderfully different collection of books.
The book that changed me is.... Arthur Lydiard’s Running To The Top. This was the book that started me on the road to being a successful coach and mentor to so many athletes over the years. It made me realise that if you help enough others to succeed you are a success yourself. Arthur was the “godfather” of jogging, very innovative and is still recognised as the best distance coach ever.
The book I wish I'd never read is.... Good To Great by Jim Collins. It haunts me how simple it is to be great, yet so few achieve it!
This column was first published in the Herald on Sunday, 18 December, 2011