The Win Within by Bert Mandelbaum M.D.

Adversity can happen to any of us at any time. What motivates some to boldly journey through adversity?

They marshal their inner victorious spirit, Mandelbaum writes. He is convinced it is a resource inside each of us. He has seen it in his role as a sports physician. He shows us what this spirit is and how we can nurture it ourselves and find that “win thin.”

Mandelbaum knows what he is writing about from his own experience. Broadsided by an out of control snow boarder, he had back surgery and was told he would not run again, a vital activity to his own well being.

The first part of this book concentrates on how we can each discover that victorious spirit inside us. Then he covers the five areas of life we need to focus on to access that spirit. The last part of the book is about integrating those practices into life.

His stories of athletes are amazing. To think that the same passionate spirit is inside each of us is an inspiration. Although most of us will never compete in an Olympian setting, we can still be victorious in our daily lives. That includes nutrition and exercise, making life an adventure, being a person of character, and having or being a mentor. He gives really practical ideas to develop those necessary traits in our lives. He includes his outline for MVP, set a Mission, flesh it out into a Vision, and then set a Plan.

This is a very inspiring book. The stories of people overcoming adversity are compelling reading. Many of them are sports individuals or teams so this book would really appeal to sports enthusiasts or those aspiring to excel in a sport. We are hardwired to survive, Mandelbaum writes. The key to finding the win within is to keep striving to be the very best we can be.

Dr. Bert Mandelbaum is a medical graduate of Washington University Medical School in St. Louis, completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and fellowship in Sports Medicine from UCLA. He is part of the Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group. He also serves as the Director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship Program and the Research and Education Foundation and Medical Director for the FIFA Medical Center of Excellence in Santa Monica. He is also the Director of Research for Major League Baseball and is Co-director of The USOC CSS National Medical Center of excellence and serves on the USOC National Medical Network Advisory Group. As a team physician, he has worked with the UCLA Athletics and Pepperdine University, LA Galaxy and Chivas USA MLS teams. He was the Chief Medical Officer for Women's World Cup Soccer 1999 and 2003, US Soccer Men's National Teams Physician since 1991, and the assistant Medical Director for Major League Soccer since 1991. He served as USA Team Physician for Soccer World Cups in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010. He has served on many other sports medicine committees and was Olympic Medical Officer for 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012. He and his wife, a Family Physician, have three children.

Greenleaf Book Group Press, 176 pages.

I received an egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.