Relentless

January 28, 2013
Grover ( Jump Attack) spends half of his second book making a sales pitch for his sports-performance training services (at Attack Athletics in Chicago), and the other half lamenting the fact that most people are little more than slackers. The book is written in an unremittingly abrasive style (“When people rip me for being an asshole... it means I’m on a level they can’t attain”) that’s bound to irk some as much as it inspires others. Grover explains the differences between three types of individuals—”Coolers, Closers, and Cleaners”—whose competitive focus and passion are, respectively, good, great, and unstoppable. A Cleaner is “the most intense and driven competitor imaginable,” someone whose ultimate success comes from tapping into his or her “dark side” and acting on instinct. Grover builds the book around “the Relentless 13,” a baker’s dozen of Cleaner characteristics that can be applied both on and off the field; they include attacking opponents’ weaknesses, being feared more than liked, and never recognizing failure. He must know what he’s talking about—Grover is, after all, Michael Jordan’s personal trainer, and he served as the director of sports performance for the United States’ 2012 Olympic basketball team—but his approach is truly, relentlessly irritating. Agent: Shari Wenk, SLW Literary Agency.