Winning is an Attitude: A Season in the Life of John Chaney and the Temple Owls

Chaney, basketball coach at Temple University, imparts to his players the lesson learned along his road out of a black Philadelphia ghetto: playing basketball is the stepstone to education and deliverance from poverty. This sports book weaves his teachings with a pedestrian journal of the Owls' 1989-1990 season, during which Chaney cajoles his players to make ``smart'' decisions both on the court and off. Although Wartenberg, correspondent for the Philadelphia Inquirer and New York Times , is credited as the sole author, Chaney's hand is ever present. Hard questions about race and college sports are asked meekly and the murky area of recruiting is barely touched. In the end, a potentially fine story comes off as self-serving propaganda. (Jan.)