The Heartland Chronicles, Larry Bird and ISU's 1978-79 Final Four run, by author Brian O'Brien, is a character study of the player as a young man and reveals that he needed someone who believed in him, particularly Bill Hodges, who recruited him to Indiana State and then fell into the head coaching role when his predecessor became ill. The book also includes a detailed account of Bird's journey to stardom, which was influenced by the hand of God and helped him achieve stardoms including the Boston Celtics, and the NBA Championships. O’Brien has written five books about the story of these athletes and their experiences.