BOOK REVIEW - New 2005 Release

THE WINNER'S MIND - A Competitor's Guide To Sports And Business Success
By Allen Fox, Ph.D.

OnCourtTennis.com short answer: Yes, buy it!

THE WINNER'S MIND has a no-nonsense approach to presenting the reader with how to understand the necessary psychological make-up of a successful athlete. THE WINNER'S MIND first gives the reader an understanding of a winner's mentality and then explains how anyone is capable of obtaining that mindset. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A TENNIS PLAYER to appreciate this book. Successful tennis players just so happen to have tools that translates into successful careers. THE WINNER'S MIND is laden with marvelous anecdotes from tennis, business and history.

OnCourtTennis.com gives the book high marks because (1) the author is credible and (2) his message is straightforward.

Credible Author. Allen Fox has credibility. While Dr. Fox is knowledgeable in the field of psychology, he also was a successful NCAA Division I collegiate coach, a former tour professional, an investment banker and entrepreneur. He has failed and succeeded just like all people and he does not believe in psychobabble that relies on self-delusional excuses.

Straightforward Message. Yep. It's true and there are no secrets here. Having a hard working dedicated solution oriented mindset is the underlying theme to THE WINNER'S MIND. In addition, dealing with fears, failures and shortcomings head-on is a must. Gifted and talented people can easily fall short of their goals and expectations if they rely on talent alone. Inversely, average talented people who focus in the proper direction can flourish into champions of all endeavors of life.

Negative Comment. One troubling commentary that Dr. Fox includes in THE WINNER'S MIND is that he encouraged all his collegiate players to resist the temptation of immediate rewards of becoming a professional tennis instructor. Instead he mentored them to pursue the business world for greater rewards. OnCourtTennis.com can understand Dr. Fox's rational to educate and mentor his players for the transition of other life careers, but hey, what's wrong with becoming a tennis instructor and taking on that career with an entrepreneurial spirit that may burgeon into something even more rewarding and self-fulfilling?