How to Think Like Muhammad Ali: The Paradox of Greatness and the Power of Mental Toughness

A biography of the boxing legend reveals how strategies Ali used for his successful sports career may be applied to business or personal endeavors. Muhammad Ali is the most famous boxer in the history of the sport. Three-time World Champion and the thorn in the side of Vietnam-era America, he became a moral beacon at a time when America was on its knees. But, for all his pronouncements, Ali rarely revealed the psychological training that went into his preparations before the fights. For the first time, Kevin Mitchell, one of the pre-eminent boxing writers of his generation, will get behind the public persona to reveal the psychological advantage that Ali was able to take to the ring. Mitchell demonstrates how the mental preparation Ali put into winning the heavyweight title three times are essential skills that can be applied to any walk of professional life. From the classic tactic of the rope-a-dope that Ali applied to the infamous "Rumble in the Jungle" against the favorite George Foreman, to the visualization techniques Ali applied to every fight—by having the Round number he was going to knock his opponent out in written on his taped hands—Mitchell reveals how Ali can teach something to us all and how his lessons can be applied to business and personal life equally. Read more