Letters to a Young Athlete

by Chris Bosh, Pat Riley (Foreword)

A legendary NBA player shares his remarkable story, infused with hard-earned wisdom about the journey to self-mastery from a life at the highest level of professional sports

Chris Bosh, NBA Hall of Famer, eleven-time All-Star, two-time NBA champion, Olympic gold medalist, and the league’s Global Ambassador, had his playing days cut short at their prime by a freak medical condition. His extraordinary career ended “in a doctor’s office in the middle of the afternoon.” Forced to reckon with moving forward, he found himself looking back over the course he'd taken, to the pinnacle of the NBA and beyond.

Reflecting on all he had learned from a long list of basketball legends, from LeBron and Kobe to Pat Riley and Coach K, he saw that his important lessons weren’t about basketball so much as the inner game of success—right attitude, right commitment, right flow within a team. Now he shares that journey, giving us a view from the inside of what greatness feels like and what it takes. Letters to a Young Athlete offers a proven path for taming your inner voice and making it your ally, through the challenges of failure and success alike.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Basketball, Memoir, Audiobook, Biography, Leadership

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2021

Reviews

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for my teenage grandson and thought I’d read it first to make sure it is appropriate and am pleased to say that it absolutely is.

Bosh employs straight talk about what it means to be a pro athlete but the lessons he imparts can be applied to almost any walk of life – so, life lessons, so to speak.

He says if the reason you want to go pro (in any sport) is for fame and fortune – Don’t!

The book is motivational and inspirational and I found it to be written in a very teen-friendly manner.

Having said that there are a number of adults who would benefit greatly from reading this book as well.

Well done to the author!

[Andrew Burgos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you get past the intro and start getting to the letters it’s pretty good and hard to put down. A lot of great material for “anyone” and definitely worth the read.

[Tyana M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Believe me when I say, I am not the target audience for this book.
But I picked it up because reaching the top of your field always leads to interesting observations about life, leadership and perseverance. Chris Bosh definitely delivered.
There are poignant observations about learning from your mistakes, taking care of your mind and body and gracefully moving on.
While the letters are penned to young athletes, I’d recommend this to anyone starting a new venture or looking for guidance on perseverance.

[Dilldaddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing

[Lee Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some repetition but overall very inspirational on the mental and physical side of things. Great for if you’re coaching/teaching/training.

[Daniel Dao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a sucker for a good athlete book. Classic sports pep talk but from Chris Bosh. Of course - translatable to facets outside of sports as well.

[Jacob O'connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miami Heat fans have had more than their share of ups and downs. I remember exactly where I was standing when I found out Pat Riley was coming. Then we get Alonzo Mourning. Next Tim Hardaway. Riley assembled a team destined for a championship, and then Zo's kidneys fail. Hardaway's knees give out. But wait. Riley lands Lamar Odom. First thing you know, we draft Dwyane Wade. Just when you think it can't get better, Riley comes up with Shaquille O'Neal. And then "The Decision".

Man o man, Heat fans were spoiled. We forgot what it was like to lose. That is until Lebron threw his hands up in the midst of their final Finals appearance. Weeks later, LBJ confirmed what we all suspected. What we all dreaded. He was returning to Cleveland. What a dark time, but it almost got worse. The rumor mill was all about Chris Bosh. He was talking with Houston. He might leave Miami and join the Rockets. Noooo! I've never been more relieved than when I learned that Bosh was coming back. Yeah, we lost Lebron, but we still had Wade and Bosh. That was plenty. And it would have been if Bosh wasn’t forced into retirement with blood clots. Just imagine the career he could have had. Bosh was ahead of his time. The prototype small-ball center before it was cool. It's enough to break your heart.

I much enjoyed Letters to a Young Athlete. Yes, I'm reminiscing, but that's not what this book is doing. It is quite good advice and sagely wisdom. I always knew Chris Bosh was smart, and he proves it. Very much enjoyed.

[Zack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in the day, I was privileged enough to speak regularly with Chris Bosh when I covered the Raptors while working in sports radio. He was quiet and reserved, but always respectful. You could tell that he approached the game differently than most other players.

Reading this book offered a great amount of insight into his mentality, which I probably never had the courage to inquire about when I was a young reporter.

In ‘Letters,’ Chris shares some solid, easily digestible pointers that relate directly to athletes, but can easily be applied to any walks of life. The value of being a good teammate, finding your motivation, testing your limits, etc.

This serves as an easy recommendation to anyone who’s interested in one of the more introspective athletic minds, who offers some valuable perspective on ‘playing every game like it’s your last’ (which obviously goes well beyond the cliche in his instance).

[Savi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided that this book was 5 stars from the first letter. Chris Bosh’s intentionality, humility, and breadth & diversity of applications makes this book so easy to listen to. It’s inspiring to see how intentional he lives, how much he values both emotional and physical fortitude. The references and examples he uses in the books covers so many topics and genres that everyone can relate. The audience is intended to be younger, but applicable for all ages. The book forces you to pause, be present, and question your why.

[G H M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 (Audiobook)

A lifelong Toronto Raptors fan, I dislike Bosh less after reading this book. His lessons are well-learned and provide a strong argument for team play and discipline. I will say his departure from Toronto and his willingness to be a third leg in Miami feel a little glossed over. But the book rings true as sincere to me. Some people don’t want to be the man and are happy to have another role on a team. But sorry Chris, not all roles are created equal. Worth a read overall. Positive words for young people.

[Paige Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down the best book I’ve ever read on leadership steeped in human relationships—what it means to lead or succeed in any human venture worth pursuing that involves other people (almost everything).

It’s also a brilliant primer on what it takes to achieve personal goals on the highest level—developing your mind and removing ego.

I never played team sports and I’m no young athlete, but this book resonated with me to the core. Pure inspiration. I hope it becomes widely read.

[Nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interest insight into a successful retired athlete. At least he was candid on how hard it is.

[Natalie Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for me but 4.5 for the young reader.

[Rachel Voet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for young athletes and current athletes to read. Great lessons on leadership and the role sport has on young adults. Read for football season.

[Art McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definately not what I was expecting from a “jock”. It was well written with many life lessons based upon his experiences , successes and failures alike

[j.j. · Rating 3 out of 5]

39 year old man is definitely not the target audience for this book, but there were still some good takeaways. I wish this book had been available when I was in junior high.

[Tyler Uyeda · Rating 5 out of 5]

very refreshing perspective on sport and life. taught me a lot and surely have a lot from this read that i’ll apply to all facets of my life, not just running

[Jung]

Life wisdom from a basketball legend.

Basketball was Chris Bosh's life. As a kid, he’d play in his driveway long after the sun went down. By the end of his career, he’d won two NBA championships and a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

Sadly, Bosh’s career ended in 2015. A doctor had identified a blood clot forming in his leg. If he were to continue playing, there was a chance the clot could break loose and get caught in his heart, lungs, or brain. He could even die on the court.

Forced into early retirement, Bosh reflected on his journey. What could he tell that young athlete, that kid playing basketball in the driveway? And what could he tell anyone who dreamed of greatness?

---

To play past your limits, you must train past them.

The pass appeared effortless.

LeBron James tossed up a three-point shot in the final seconds of game six of the 2013 NBA Finals, Heat versus Spurs. The ball bounced from the rim. Bosh, the Heat’s center, was surrounded by Spurs players. He leaped up, snatched the ball, and within an instant, passed it to Ray Allen. 

Allen, just as quickly, stepped behind the three-point line. With five Spurs players rushing to block, Allen took the shot. He made it.

From Bosh to Allen, the play appeared effortless, despite the pressure of 20,000 screaming fans, millions of viewers, and the exhaustion resulting from over 80 games that season. 

Bosh executed the pass automatically, instantly, because for decades he had trained himself to go beyond his perceived limits of physical and mental exhaustion.

Years of running suicide drills back and forth across the court had taught his burning lungs and screaming muscles to suck in oxygen and find that boost. He had learned, as ultramarathon runner and ex-Navy SEAL David Goggins says, that when you think you’re running on empty, you still have 40 percent left in the tank. 

Bosh learned that he had to train past the limits of exhaustion because he was going to have to perform past the limits of exhaustion.

The life lesson here is that you need to always push yourself further than you think you can go. That doesn’t mean you should suppress the little voice in your head saying that you can't continue. In fact, It is precisely this awareness of being exhausted which you need to embrace. By doing so, you’ll slowly build the mental and physical strength you’ll need to progress beyond your limits and grow to embrace exhaustion.

Make no mistake – training in this way is brutally hard. But by pushing yourself to the limit, you’ll discover what comedian Jerry Seinfeld called “your blessing in life … the torture you’re most comfortable with.” 

However, building your resilience in the face of exhaustion is just one side of the coin. To keep it strong over the course of a career, you’re going to need deep motivation, which is the topic of the next chapter.

---

To strengthen your passion, combine it with a higher purpose.

Years before his professional career, Bosh played for his high school basketball team in southeastern Dallas, Texas. Bosh was always in the gym, running drills with his coach, Thomas Hill. 

One day, Coach Hill stopped Bosh in the middle of his drills and looked him in the eyes. He asked Bosh what he wanted to do with this.

This? Bosh thought to himself. What did Hill mean, this?

At first, Bosh didn’t know what to say to his coach. He stammered and muttered something about the drill, about winning the state championship. Hill pushed him to think deeper, to find the reason why he was pursuing basketball in the first place. 

At Coach Hill's prompting, Bosh came to understand that while he loved basketball, the sport itself wasn’t his motivation. It was actually that he wanted to be his best self – his true motivation was to honor the gift that life had given him. 

Why are you pursuing what you are pursuing? Why does it matter to you? Whether you’re an aspiring hockey player or physicist, probe your motives until you reach a purpose that will both sustain you through losses and keep you level in victory.

You don’t need to come up with something right away, and your motivation can change over time, but you can rule out money. Money is, at best, a temporary boost. Even then, it often fails.

Take the 2019 NFL Playoffs, for example. Sean Payton, coach of the New Orleans Saints hired armed guards to walk through the locker room after game time with $120,000 in crisp bills. The amount represented the bonus each team member would win for winning the championship. Payton was looking to instill a little extra motivation for the next four games. The Saints lost.

This isn’t to say that a fixation on cash cost the Saints the Superbowl. However, it pales in comparison to the motivation the Saints tapped into a few years earlier.

Back in 2006, on the night the New Orleans Superdome finally reopened after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Coach Payton gathered the Saints to watch a video. In it, clips alternated between their season thus far and images of the ruined city left by the hurricane.

The Saints then took the field under a banner that read, “Our home. Our team. Be a saint.” 

They were playing to resurrect their city. That night, the Saints kicked off three seasons in which they would play with a now-legendary level of hunger, spirit, and purpose.

---

Ego is the enemy of improvement.

Chris Bosh was only 19 years old when, in 2003, he got drafted by the Toronto Raptors. Bosh – smart, fast, and nearly seven feet tall – had always been a star. But now, in the NBA, Bosh was going against teams full of stars whose fame greatly eclipsed his own.

At first, he struggled to get the ball, and when he did get it, his shots kept failing. His opponents ran over him. Bosh fell into despair and let his defense fall apart.

One night before a game in San Antonio, his coach Sam Harris decided to bench him. Bosh was not to play that night.

After being benched, Coach Harris helped Bosh discover the real reason he was failing. It wasn’t inexperience – it was ego. 

Ego, of course, is that natural but pernicious urge to put yourself over others, and to turn away from anything that threatens your heroic, starring role in the drama unfolding around you. 

Bosh’s ego was telling him that he had to be the one with his hands on the ball. Ego was telling him that he had to be the one to score. 

To stop his free fall, Bosh had to forget what his ego told him he should be. Instead, he had to do whatever he could to become what his team needed. 

So Bosh changed course and started giving 100 percent of his energy to his team’s needs. He played hard on defense in Toronto, and soon enough the ball came to him and his shots went in. By playing selflessly, he made himself essential. And by stowing his ego and committing to his team, Bosh began playing at a whole new level.

Over the 13 years of his NBA career, Bosh pulled double digits in rebounds, assists, and scoring. He became a star.

In 2016, three years after a blood clot ended his career, Chris Bosh walked once more onto the court at Miami’s American Airlines Arena. As he did, the crowd of 20,000 erupted into thunderous applause. That night, the Heat ceremoniously retired his number. 

The team’s president Pat Riley delivered the commemoration of Bosh’s stellar career. In particular, Riley spoke of what he called the biggest assist in the Heat’s history – Bosh’s effortless pass to Ray Allen in the final seconds of game six in 2013.

For Bosh, the glory of having his jersey raised into the rafter wasn’t just that he would be remembered, but that he would be remembered as a player who fought for his team.

---

To build your team, lead by example and cultivate communication.

When Chris Bosh landed in Miami in 2010, he came to play alongside Dwayne Wade and LeBron James, two of the best to ever grace the game. The press called them the “Big Three”. Then, in 2012, Ray Allen joined the team, an event that propelled the team into the annals of NBA history.

But in the locker room, or in the huddle, there was another player the team would often look to for guidance. His name was Juwan Howard.

Howard was nearing 40 when the Big Three came together, and for most of those ascendant seasons, Howard played just a few minutes per game. He was often on the sidelines, fully dressed in a suit. But every morning, Howard was the first in the weight room or on the treadmill. Before and after each practice, Howard was putting in hours with extra shots and drills.

Howard wasn’t a star. He was a leader.

Players like Howard make an immeasurable impact on their teams. They tap into its collective soul, read the moment, and do whatever is necessary. In practical terms, this sort of contribution requires effective communication, which, like any other skill, takes knowledge and practice.

There are a few things you need to do in order to become a true leader. First, you have to learn the lingo of your sport. As a player on the soccer pitch, you have to learn what a dummy run is, or, as a water polo player, the meaning of an eggbeater or a dry pass. Second, you have to know your audience. If one teammate responds poorly to shouting but another thrives on its energy, you need to know what works best for each individual. That means building relationships, sharing meals, and spending time with each other away from the court, pitch, or pool.

But perhaps most importantly, you have to remember that communication is not monologuing or lecturing. You have to listen, mediate conflict when necessary, and absorb honest criticism.

Teams without communication and leadership fall apart, no matter how talented individual players might be. In contrast, teams with communication and leadership thrive in adversity. They act as a single organism and always meet the moment. From the strongest to the weakest player, they are prepared to do whatever the team needs. They trust one another, rely on another, and by and large, they win more.

And, as we’ll see in the next chapter, when they do lose, they face their failure with honesty and courage. They get to work. 

---

Don’t get too high from winning, or too low from losing.

In the first season of the Big Three, the Heat dominated the league. Bosh remembers how high he felt at the time. He was on one of the most talented teams ever assembled, and felt that the championship was as good as won.

Seneca, a Roman stoic philosopher, would have advised Bosh to cool down – and to avoid what he called “transports of delight.” As the famous intellectual said, “joy leads to exultation, and exultation leads to swaggering and excessive self-esteem.”

In other words, when you get too high from a win, you become complacent and blind to your faults. Meanwhile, your opponents see those faults and redouble their efforts to bring you down.

In the 2011 NBA finals, this is precisely what happened – the Dallas Mavericks out-worked the Heat and won the championship.

When the Mavericks beat the Heat in the NBA Finals, Bosh wept on national television. He wanted to disappear.

But what would have been a better response? 

For a good model, we can look to Karl Malone. In 1997, Malone led the Utah Jazz against the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals. Malone was a legendarily powerful player, but had never won a championship. But like any other elite player, he fiercely wanted to win.

In game six, the last of the series, he ground his way through Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin, and Dennis Rodman to score 31 points. But it wasn’t enough. The Jazz lost. Malone would never again get so close to a championship.

That night after the game, Malone jogged out to the Bull’s team bus. He climbed the steps and shook the hand of every player of the team who had just beaten him. He hugged Jordan, congratulated him, and left the bus with a smile. 

By facing his defeat with bravery and honesty, Malone not only demonstrated maturity and humility – he helped preserve his own self-respect and peace of mind. 

Bosh learned an important lesson from Malone. Losing may hurt, but when you’ve played for a purpose that goes beyond fame or money, a loss is not an injury to your soul.

Instead, it’s an opportunity to become physically and mentally stronger, help forge a tighter team, and become a better person.

---

Value your health, your future, and your peace of mind.

LeBron James stretches. 

James stretches when he gets up in the morning and before he goes to bed at night. He stretches before and after every workout, every practice, and every game. His stretching routine takes half an hour, and he’s known to do it almost at random. Even in the middle of a card game.

James also employs personal chefs for his strictly calibrated diet, massage therapists for his recovery, and personal trainers to hone his conditioning. All in all, James invests about $1.5 million per year in this sort of self-care.

He’s also in his 18th year of professional basketball and is often cited as the greatest basketball player of all time.

The days of Babe Ruth are gone. You cannot smoke cigarettes, guzzle alcohol, and chomp down hot dogs and expect to perform at an elite level. 

The imperative of taking care of yourself also applies to your mental state. Bosh, for example, adopted meditation practices to strengthen his focus, recall, and peace of mind. Plenty of other athletes seek out therapy to manage the multitude of stresses that accompany professional sports. 

Your coaches and teammates care about you, but at the end of the day, no one can be as invested in your long-term health as you. After all, as an athlete, your body is your ultimate investment. So, as you progress in your training, make sure to learn the difference between being exhausted, the sort of state that you can and should push through, and being injured.

You also have to discern between constructive criticism from trusted sources, such as your coach and teammates, and negativity that you should ignore. This can take the forms of social media chatter, media drama, or even trash talk from opponents. 

Take Kawhi Leonard. In 2017, while playing for the San Antonio Spurs, he suffered a serious leg injury. Leonard sat out to rehabilitate, but pressure started mounting from both fans and the franchise for him to get back on the court. He was, after all, the star of the Spurs.

Leonard refused, knowing he hadn’t fully healed, and his refusal likely cost him his job. The Spurs traded him to the Raptors. In the following season, when Leonard was convinced that he had healed, he led the Raptors to the championship – and won the finals.

---

If you want to reach your potential, you’ve got to put in the work, whatever that may be.

Plenty of people show up to watch Stephen Curry play with the Golden State Warriors. Those in the know arrive early and check out Curry’s pregame routine, a 20-minute series of drills cycling through a wild variety of positions.

Curry executes a similar, but longer, series of drills after each practice, taking over 300 shots before he quits. Curry is arguably the best shooter in NBA history, and has been for years. Even if he scored fewer shots, no one would think less of him. He’s a legend.

Yet Curry persists with hundreds and hundreds of shots because that's what it takes to play at his fullest potential.

An important aspect of Curry’s routine is that it’s not random. The shots and moves are choreographed down to each moment. Throughout the various drills, Curry is continuously visualizing and focusing on his weaknesses. 

Yes, even Stephen Curry has weaknesses, which is exactly why he puts in the work to overcome them.

But Curry’s routine serves another purpose – he’s getting into the zone.

The zone occurs when you are completely present and at the top of your game. For many of us, the zone is fleeting, or even accidental. But elite athletes like Curry know that reaching it on a regular basis means developing intense focus – and training your body through thousands of hours of practice.

Of course, if you do the work the way Curry does the work, there’s no guarantee you’ll become as big of a star as he is. After all, nothing in life is guaranteed. There’s no formula to becoming a drafted NBA player or champion.

But if you do the work, whatever that work may be, not only will you become faster, stronger, and smarter – you’ll also get the sense that you’re onto something special. By pushing yourself, stowing your ego, committing to the team, building your mental strength, and taking care of yourself, you’ll realize as Bosh realized that you are stepping ever closer to fulfilling your potential as a human being.

---

To achieve your full potential as an athlete you must value yourself, push past your limits, stow your ego, and develop your mind. You have to commit yourself to the team and find the motivation that sharpens you in the moment and sustains you over the long run.

And here’s some more actionable advice:

Cultivate interests outside of the game. 

Take up an instrument, study dance, or even start cooking classes. It doesn’t really matter what it is – pursuits outside of sport will develop your focus, memory, and creativity, all of which are mental strengths you’ll need to play your game well. Beyond that, you might find connections you hadn’t anticipated. For example, Bosh, a lifelong bookworm, says that visualizing the scenarios he read in novels from Harry Potter to The Great Gatsby helped him to better visualize and execute complex plays on the court. 

[Evan Conrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very hard to put down. Surprised just how good this book was. If you think this is just a book for athletes or those who are into sports you are wrong. It Is definitely more than that. Sports can serve as such a perfect metaphor for life, and this book does that so perfectly and powerfully. So many takeaways and lessons here, and super easy to read. I was sad when it was over. One of my favourite books I’ve read this year, highly recommend!

[Anna Balch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really much to say, not great not bad

[Nikita · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, you don’t need to be a sports fan or a basketball fan to enjoy this book. The lessons and advice Bosh gives is something you can apply to your general life. Second, I was surprised that the book was written as well as it was. I have read many books by former athletes and this one seemed to be more straightforward and clearly written than most.

[Ana Bernardino · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t know the ‘Letters to a Young …’ series and I was pleasantly surprised.
In this candid book, Chris Bosh shares what it means to be a pro athlete, the different aspects of it and what you should do get there.
Although this is a booked aimed at YA athletes looking into making their mark on sports, there are quite some live learnings that one can get from Chris (sort of memoir).

[Adan Macias · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Letters to a Young Athlete by Chris Bosh is an exceptional read for any young athlete. It is a very good book to read because of the powerful messages it sends, predominantly to young athletes. It talks about how athletes should work very hard on their craft, but not overdo it on the physical spectrum. The mental part of the game is just as important as the physicality. Being strong mentally will contribute to physical performance. This book really changed the way I viewed my athletics, and really, my life. Given the fact that athletics are a major part of my life. I learned that not just me, but all athletes have to and should be balancing their lives. Doing good in school shouldn’t be taken for granted. The harsh truth, you can think you’re as good as Lebron James. Guess what though, you’re not. You have to do good in school because not everyone’s future career is going to be in sports. This is why I think this is a good book, and why young athletes should read it.

[Marco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Letters to a young athlete is very inspiring and such a good book. But, the book has long chapters 😩

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very intelligent person that happened to play basketball. Solid insights into what it takes to succeed and lead.

[Orsayor · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Jody Sperling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astoundingly wise and well-written book. I teared up multiple times reading this one.

[RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: YOU EARN YOUR “BONES” ON THE COURT… AND IN LIFE… UNDER THE BOARDS!
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I’m and old Grandfather now… and I’m opening this review with this statement… so you know that I wholeheartedly believe… and know… that certain things never change. And as I will shortly share with you… that’s especially true in the TRULY-IMPORTANT-THINGS-IN-LIFE!

The biggest role model and idol in my life was my Dad. He passed away forty-one years ago… and is still my idol and role model. I also idolized Jackie Robinson… Sandy Koufax… and Jerry West… but they were secondary to my Dad. And if you continue reading my review you will truly understand why I am sharing and emphasizing this with you.

Charles Barkley many decades ago… famously stated in a commercial that “He was not a role model!” And you know what? For one of a very few times he was one-hundred-per-cent right!

When you get done reading this book… if you didn’t know it already… you will surely believe and understand why the author… Chris Bosh… is a genuine role model on and off the court. I have always loved and played sports with the deepest passion… hunger… and desire… and a competitiveness I have seen very few times in my life. When you come from nothing… you compete to show you not only belong… but rise to the top… first in sports… and then you realize that sports is exactly like life. As I preached… and wrote in a poem… to my children… “THOSE TROPHIES YOU WIN NOW… (NOT THE TYPE OF TROPHIES EVERYONE IS BLINDLY AND CHEAPLY GIVEN JUST FOR SHOWING UP) WILL LATER BE COMMISSION CHECKS THAT WILL PROVIDE FOR YOUR FAMILY. That is the core of this unbelievable… tell it like it is… BEAUTIFUL… and I do mean BEAUTIFUL book. Because beauty to me is truth… the truth of nothing being handed to you… the truth of working so... so... hard… that the warning light on your human dashboard… says you can’t work any harder… or longer… but you find out that that dashboard is lying to you! You have to find the dedication… and desire… to prove to yourself that YOUR OWN DASHBOARD IS WRONG! And once you prove it wrong… prove to it that you’re better and stronger… than you yourself told yourself that you were… you then go to another level and embed that in your auto pilot mechanism deep in that vault within your very being… that only you have the combination to. I knew that… but many in the world don’t… or they simply found the reason to quit and fail. Chris Bosh will teach this to potential readers who either never knew this… or when they faced their own warning light… they now had a reason to give up and quit!

Anyone considering this book most likely already knows Chris’s “bona-fides”… the World Championships… the All-Star games… the Gold Medal… the recent well deserved NBA Hall of Fame induction… and many other accolades… as well as the heart-wrenching medical condition that unmercifully brought his professional basketball career to a premature screeching halt. Known not only as a great player… but the player who sacrificed the most on the Miami Heat’s super trio of Chris… LeBron… and Dwyane Wade… to create the 2012/2013 BACK-TO-BACK-CHAMPIONS. But when I and other people use the word “sacrifice”… Chris defines it more deeply… and rather than simply say sacrifice… it’s a goal to make we the team successful… and as a byproduct increase your own true self-worth… that is one of the many things Chris so deeply emphasizes and teaches in this no-holds barred book of improvement… growth… how to… in chapters laid out as signed letters to “young athletes”. With the greatest amount of respect… and as humble as I can attempt to be… I think the title of this book is downplayed because of how humble Bosh is. This book is really letters to young people… and if truth be told… to all ages of people… because people should never stop looking within themselves… always looking to improve… always looking to admit their mistakes and shortcomings.

Chris scrutinizes what a leader truly is… and how many different ways individuals can lead. All leaders are not loud and flamboyant. Everything from taking care of your body… to replacing ego with confidence from everything you invest leading up to… and well past your personal “warning light”.

Until the last year when Amazon for some unknown reason removed the ability for people to add comments and questions to a review like this… I used to be asked many… many… times if a particular book was “acceptable for their children… and what age youngster?” As a Grandfather and Father I went out of my way to respond to those questions. Since potential adult readers can’t ask me that anymore… for this book… I want to proactively reach out to these adult readers. I absolutely wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone’s child… from the age… if they’re really exceptional readers… I would say twelve years old and up. Average readers… I would say thirteen or fourteen years old. This is such a tremendously written… and unbelievably well-intentioned motivational book… that SO BEAUTIFULLY SERVES TWO MASTERS… SUCCEEDING IN SPORTS… AND MORE IMPORTANTLY… SUCCEEDING IN LIFE!

My favorite all-time quote my Father said to me growing up… that I repeat to this day is:

“TALK IS CHEAP… PERFORMANCE COUNTS… LET YOUR PLAYING DO YOUR TALKING… PUT UP OR SHUT UP!”

To Chris Bosh… you are truly a role model… ON… AND OFF… THE COURT! You have let your playing and your writing do your talking, I truly thank you for this beautiful book!

[Jed Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second time reading this one after a couple of years, and I've upgraded it to 4.5*. I've read a ton of books by athletes, but this is the most thoughtful and practical version I've found. It didn't surprise me to learn he worked extensively with Ryan Holiday on the manuscript. The work shows. Very well done. A must for anyone committed to their personal development or coaching others.

[Rhett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tremendous first effort from Chris Bosh. I wish I had this book when I was a young athlete, I would have gotten a lot out of it. His observations on leadership, work ethic, and curiosity are refreshing, pulling from his wide variety of interests outside of basketball. This is definitely a book I see myself gifting in the future.