105 Great Stories (For Coaches, Leaders, Teachers and Parents)

Gary Pritchard and Dr. Rob Gilbert
GJP, Inc. (2008)
ISBN 9780981858302
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (1/09)


The author has given readers the Bible of confidence through short memorable stories with “life lessons” for anyone who finds themselves in a rut, stressed out or unmotivated. Having read many motivational books, this one is a keeper. From the very beginning the reader is drawn into another area of the mind where they can actually visualize overcoming life’s obstacles.

Gary Pritchard has succeeded perfectly in stimulating the dullest mind with topics on every aspect one might encounter. His stories are of sports heroes we all know, of individual everyday people who have overcome life challenges and words of wisdom from our youngest teachers. We all want to be happy and reach those sometimes-unattainable goals, but we find we cannot define happiness. The author tells us in between the lines, we first must define “us.”

One of the most captivating stories for me was “Power of Caring.”  Parents brought their young son to get a puppy. There were so many to choose from, but one captured his eyes- the store owner told the little boy that the puppy had problems- he was born with a bad hip and bad leg and would have to be put asleep. The young boy chose this puppy over all others. The storeowner asked him “why?” The little boy pulled up his pant leg and revealed a brace. He told the storeowner “I want this puppy because I understand what he’s going through.” The lesson is about sympathy and empathy, instead of listening to a person’s story through your eyes; listen to the story from that person’s point of view.

This isn’t a book about how-to; it is a book to get readers thinking and visualizing life’s great treasures. We compete with ourselves- each part of our brains have different desires, and they fight for control—bargaining with, deceiving, and plotting against one another.

“105 Great Stories” by Gary Pritchard and Dr. Rob Gilbert is a book readers will use over and over and they soon will find themselves relating these stories to others around them.

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