Work Like a Slave, Think Like a Master

A Louisiana State University basketball player turned entrepreneur shares his principles for success in this debut memoir/motivational guide.

Temple, eldest son of the first-ever African-American to play varsity basketball at LSU, was  “taught a solid value system….The value of hard work; the qualities of respecting people, leading people, and helping those who may not be able to help themselves; and the ability to maintain a single-minded focus.” He first provides an overview of his family’s spirit and accomplishments, his “lineage of success,” which includes a grandfather who had “the only black-owned cleaners in the small town of Edgard, Louisiana,” and a brother who currently plays for the NBA. He then segues into how he’s personally applied his family’s values, most particularly his persistence in playing on sports teams and his effective responses to various challenges prior, during, and after college. For example, Temple had a heartbreaking injury on his first day of LSU basketball practice yet used his recovery time well, eventually earning a Ph.D., as well as growing to be a key leader playing on the LSU basketball team. Temple also made inroads with the NBA post-graduation, but another injury became the impetus to shift to his current career as an agency owner at financial services distributor Primerica, as well as a motivational speaker. Temple ends each of his chapters with “WSTM Lessons Learned,” such as “Make a habit of not quitting,” and wraps up with discussing how he and his wife met and work to be effective partners for themselves and their children. It’s not surprising that Temple is doing well as a public speaker; his book combines colorful life stories, such as how he stood up to a team bully, with clear, bracing advice, including that “the three common denominators of success” are coachability, focus, and work ethic. “The first step to total coachability is SEEKING IT OUT,” Temple advises. “You should SEEK OUT whatever it is that will help you in becoming more successful in the desired area that you’re striving to excel in.” While Temple’s lesson recaps are occasionally repetitive and/or don’t always seem to align with the content of a particular chapter, his repeated emphasis on positivity, journaling, clear goal setting, and, of course, ongoing hard work is difficult to dispute.

A book that showcases and contributes to an African-American family’s impressive record of achievement.