Resilience: Faith, Focus, Triumph

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Resilience. It’s not just the title of Alonzo Mourning’s stirring memoir; it’s the stuff he’s made of. Whether petitioning himself into foster care as an eleven-year-old, tirelessly studying his way onto the dean’s list at Georgetown University, making it as an all-star center in the NBA, or returning to peak form after organ-transplant surgery, Mourning has shown enormous inner strength. His faith, his determination, and his courage are what have driven and sustained him throughout his extraordinary life.

In 2000, Mourning was on top of the world: He had a fat new contract, an Olympic gold medal, and a second beautiful child–all that and the fame and wealth he had earned playing the game he loved. But in September of that year, he was diagnosed with a rare and fatal kidney disease. Over the next couple of years, as his health faltered, he retired, unretired, and retired again–and sought to make sense of the rest of his life.

Finally in 2003, after a frantic search for a donor match, Mourning had a new kidney and a new outlook. He vowed to make this second chance count by dedicating his life to others. He resolved that he would consider the disease a blessing, a revelation of God’s plan for him.

Although he battled his way back to the NBA, winning a championship with the Miami Heat in 2006, Mourning believed that the most important and fulfilling part of his life still lay ahead. Basketball, it turned out, was just the vehicle that would allow him to devote his talents and energies to a greater cause.
Alonzo Mourning’s return to basketball glory, already familiar to sports fans and non-sports fans alike, has inspired millions of patients suffering from kidney disease and living with dialysis, as well as organ donors around the world. By sharing his experiences of the physical, emotional, and spiritual roller coaster of illness and recovery, Mourning hopes to deliver a message of faith and fire, hurdles and hope, trust and triumph. Resilience is a story about the meaningful everyday lessons that he longs to share and about the things that truly matter in life.

Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Great read October 4, 2008
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

I've read 11 of the 14 chapters in this book so far. I've only had it two days. It is truly a great read and I'm usually pretty hard to please.

I don't want to discuss any details and spoil it for anyone who may be reading it. Let's just say there are some inspirational parts, some informative parts, some funny parts, and even some parts that might make you a bit teary.

If you've followed his career closely, you may know quite a bit about some of the things he's mentioned...or at the least you might know some of the highlights of certain things, like his battles with the Knicks and so forth, but it's still very interesting hearing things from his perspective.

I definitely encourage anyone who is facing transplantation (or really, any sort of adversity) to pick up a copy of this book. It's also a good read for basketball fans who like knowing a little bit more about an athlete than what's on the surface, Heat fans who may want to know a little bit more about the man who was the face of their franchise for so many years, young men, misguided men. Honestly, I think that anyone who reads this book can take something away from it. Plus it's enjoyable and a part of the proceeds goes to charity.

Just be warned though. This book is about ALONZO MOURNING! NOT THE HEAT! NOT THE NETS! NOT THE NBA! Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. So don't expect alot of juicy locker room details or something when you get this book. It's a nice clean read but it managed to hold my attention and my attention span is usually very short. Good work Zo.

5 out of 5 stars

ALONZO'S PLAN REVEALED October 4, 2008
5 out of 7 found this review helpful

Human beings often wonder why they are put on this earth. They spend their whole lives attempting to figure it out. Perhaps Alonzo believed basketball was the reason. However, basketball was merely the vehicle
that God used for him to get his real message out to people. He is
a tremendous inspiration. I thank God for his hardships, because they have led to this painful yet touching and motivational work.
I just got back from his signing and met him, I felt his spirit from across the room and broke down in tears. Thanks be to God for a plan in life. Thank you to Alonzo and his publishers for sharing his talents with us. Best to him, Tracy and the kids.

4 out of 5 stars

RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "YOU CAN'T HURT YOUR TEAM BY TRYING TO GRAB TOO MANY REBOUNDS OR STOPPING TOO MANY SHOTS" October 7, 2008
4 out of 6 found this review helpful

This is the life story of famed basketball player Alonzo "Zo" Mourning. Despite being a three-time All American at Georgetown University... a seven-time NBA All-Star... a two-time NBA Defensive Player Of The Year... an Olympic Gold Medal winner... a college graduate with a degree in sociology... and after fourteen years in the NBA... he finally won a World Championship with the Miami Heat in 2006...

BUT...

Zo has made a much *BIGGER* impact on the world by not only fighting to overcome a kidney disease called focal glomerulosclerosis, of which there is no cure... but after fighting a "losing" battle with that disease... wound up having to get a kidney transplant as well. A winner like Zo, doesn't have the word lose in his vocabulary... and at a point in his life when he had more money than he could ever spend... and was thanking the Lord for his life... he dedicated his body and soul... to do... the unthinkable... PLAY AGAIN IN THE NBA!

If you look back on Zo's childhood, it is impossible not to have realized that this was one unique individual, and he was going to succeed on his terms. When Zo was ten-years-old his parents' marriage began to deteriorate and would eventually wind up in a divorce. His life at home was becoming strenuous. The family went to the department of social services for counseling. Zo loved his parents... BUT HE ASKED TO BE PUT INTO A GROUP HOME! Can you imagine that? He loved his parents... but thought it would be better to be in a group home. That's one heck of a decision for a ten-year-old! From there he wound up in a foster home with a woman named Fannie Threet, "a local hero who as a foster Mom helped raise forty-nine kids." Zo was one of those kids. He wound up calling Mrs. Threet Mom, but his real Mother and Father remained in his life. Zo became the number-one-rated high school basketball player in the country, and every major University came after him offering scholarships. He decided on Georgetown University because all the other coaches came to his house promising "playing-time" and perks... but Coach John Thompson promised Mrs. Threet that he "WOULDN'T" promise Zo any playing time... but "WOULD" promise he would get an education.

The author "briefly" leads you through his playing career at Georgetown, the Charlotte Hornets, the Miami Heat, the New Jersey Nets, and back to Miami... but that's not really what this book is truly about. The essence of this story is Zo's being "staggered" by the failure of his powerful SIX-FOOT-NINE-AND-A-HALF-INCH - TWO-HUNDRED-SIXTY-ONE-POUND-BODY. What it felt like to be blind-sided by a relentless disease. How he faced it... how he fought back... both physically... medically... and probably most importantly to Zo... SPIRITUALLY!

Zo had always had faith, but he felt he hadn't been close enough to G-d. "There is close and there is "CLOSE". "It is one thing to walk with G-d and another to walk hand in hand with G-d." He said "I COULD DO A LITTLE BETTER. I COULD BE CLOSER WITH G-D. I COULD BE MORE HONEST WITH G-D." His soul was put at ease after a Pastor told him: "IT WASN'T A MATTER OF G-D ACCEPTING ME, BUT OF ME ACCEPTING G-D."

This book affected me in ways above and beyond my love for basketball. My Dad died from kidney failure so I was knowledgeable about many of the things Zo faced. Zo goes into great detail about fighting back from a life threatening situation... and I know firsthand what that's like... since I almost died during brain tumor surgery around the time Zo was fighting his battle. One thing Zo said many times during this book... that I said over and over to my son... when I faced death... and that's that... THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO ARE A LOT WORSE OFF THAN ME! Zo donates so much of his time to charitable foundations and helps many poor afflicted children facing kidney disease.

It's not often I can say something like this about a professional athlete... but it defines Alonzo Mourning perfectly:

**ZO IS A CHAMPION... ON... AND... OFF... THE COURT!**

5 out of 5 stars

Resilience: Faith, Focus, Triumph November 11, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

Excellent book. Alonzo has truly survived a turmoil life and came out of it a Great person. So glad his shared his story. Would recommend this book highly.

5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful Book October 20, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

I have always liked Alonzo Mourning as a basketball player. I now have new found respect for a guy I already thought was top of the class in the NBA. After reading this wonderful book, I have a new found respect and I like him even more. I love how he is such a family man and his family and God comes first. He is a great role model for not just his son, but for many young men who look up to the NBA stars and want to be just like them. I just hope that a fraction of our young men, turn out half as a wonderful human being as Alonzo is. This book made me laugh, made me cry, made me happy and made me upset. I felt that I was right along every good and bad thing that happened to him. I just loved reading each page and hated to get to the end. Keep up the great work that you have started Zo.

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