Book Review: Game. Set. Life. by Ed Tseng

Tennis coach and motivational speaker Ed Tseng sent me a copy of his book, entitled "Game.Set.Life, Peak Performance for Sports and Life" early last month, and I just finished reading it for a second time.

As you may gather from that statement, it isn't long, less than 120 pages, but it does take on some very important topics that are pertinent to succeeding in tennis and in daily living. Tseng's own life story is the basis for his philosophy, and he describes how he was transformed from an aimless, disinterested college student who failed out of college twice, to a motivated and energetic achiever when he discovered his passion for tennis. Tseng graduated from Ferris State's Tennis Management school and went on to become a teaching pro, and recently added motivational speaking (and writing) to his resume.

The book is broken down into 26 chapters, with a lesson summary at the end of each one. The emphasis is on positive thinking, and there are references to Anthony Robbins and other self-help experts, as well as Buddhist monks, psychologists, and other observers of human behavior. There are quotes, stories, anecdotes, parables, even poems interspersed, which make for an interesting potpourri.

Tseng touches on a few concepts that were unfamiliar to me, including mindfulness and growth vs. fixed mindsets. (It actually struck me that some of the ZooTennis commenters could benefit from this paragraph: BE OPEN-MINDED Remember that there are always different perspectives. If you are narrow-minded, you won't be open to opinions and suggestions from people who could potentially help you. Don't be so quick to judge whether something will work or not.)

Many of Tseng's lessons are common sense, goal-oriented reminders that emphasize not just achievement, but the benefits of enjoying the quest for success. I think Tseng's past gives him extra credibility on the subject of failure, and some of the best quotes, most from athletes, address this topic. My favorite is Wayne Gretzky's "You miss 100% of the shots you never take."

Tseng also has a blog, edtseng.com, where he posts a daily motivational item and provides his schedule of upcoming seminars and conferences.

Game. Set. Life. is available at Amazon, via the link below.