Oliver Chin's book, The Tao of Yao: Insights from Basketball's Brightest Big Man, will be published in October by the Frog, Ltd.
Yao Ming's debut season with the Houston Rockets thrilled fans worldwide as they marveled at the "Yaoisms" produced by this Chinese twenty-two-year-old. Memorable in their own right, Yao's statements become even more insightful when placed in context with the comments of other esteemed athletes and philosophers from past and present. Recognizing his immense responsibility as a cultural ambassador, Yao said, "I hope I am a good textbook. It seems to me I am here to do more than play basketball." Growing to be as popular as actors Jackie Chan and Jet Li, Yao's social impact elevates him far beyond these entertainers. Challenging the West's views of him and "foreigners" in general, he was also redefining how Asians could view themselves as well as the image of the athlete in modern society. Coming from a culture shaped by Taoism, Yao instinctively introduces its principles through his words and deeds to fans who find them unusual but fascinatingly honest. Yao taps into a wellspring of wisdom that yields insights far beyond his own experience. Though Yao may not have intended it, he has become an authentic teacher of Taoist values to an awe-struck yet accepting world. From East to West and back again, Yao has become a 21st century role model not only for basketball but also for life.
The Author Oliver Chin graduated from Harvard University with a magna cum laude senior thesis Just Do It: Sports Advertising and the American Dream. Chin uses the modern phenomenon of Yao Ming to illustrate the ancient wisdom of Taoism and Sun Tzu's The Art of War. By deftly bridging the cultures of East and West, by drawing inspiration from sports heroes, warriors and philosophers over thousands of years of history, The Tao of Yao transcends both time and space, highlighting universal principles of leadership essential to victory. Currently he resides with his wife and son in San Francisco, California.