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Author/Athlete/Professional
Speaker
"Think of yourself as an
athlete. I guarantee you it will change the way
you walk, the way you work, and the decisions you
make about leadership, teamwork, and
success."- MBN
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READER REVIEWS, WE ARE ALL ATHLETES
From individual readers
"I read your book and I just loved it. It is so inspiring and so well written and informative. I've been thinking about it all this week. I NEED TO GET A BETTER B GAME! Yes, that's one of the new voices in my head. It was really compelling.
I never played sports growing up at all. And the biggest reason was that I didn't know how to be on a team. The idea of possibly letting people down was so overwhelmingly upsetting. I couldn't have imagined playing basketball. I could never play tennis because it seemed mean -- like someone would have to win and that meant that someone would feel bad.
It wasn't until I got to high school that I discovered karate and got good enough that I went to competitions. But I would throw the fight towards the end and lose. That way the other person could win and I didn't have to feel bad about them losing. But I would secretly know that I could have won if I'd tried to. HOW SCREWED UP IS THAT? Anyway, then it wasn't until years later, when I joined the improv group at the Groundlings Theatre that I learned how much fun it was to be on a team and play games and that it wasn't so awful to lose and it was fun to do well and prove it. All those years... I mean, I was almost thirty before I understood anything pleasurable about sportsmanship.
As I read your book I realized that it is written exactly for a person like me. I got so much out of it. Thanks so much for writing this book."
– Julia Sweeney, actress
“The book was a strong reminder that I can/must still think and behave as an athlete. Until reading your book, I hadn’t realized how I had let that mentality slide over the years. I was so impressed that I immediately bought a copy for each member of my staff and gave another copy to a friend. I will ask the booster club to buy a copy for each of our players. Thank you for writing such an important book.”
—Dee Marrara, high school basketball coach and official
“Oh my gosh! I love your new book! I’m half way through and really appreciate how you’ve woven in professional athletes’ stories plus your stories to have it make sense for an everyday gal like me!”
—Christa Matter, professor and athlete, Winona State University
“This should be a textbook for every coaching seminar and required reading for every athlete. It’s about making athletes better people: building leaders, building teams. It’s a guide to your journey through life: how to understand your athletes, and yourself.”
—Bill Finney, Head Women’s Basketball Coach and Athletic Director, Marymount University
“I absolutely LOVE your latest book. It has power, wisdom, and the best—practicality. How I could have used it several years ago when I was playing tennis! Presently, it speaks to my other long-time sport: Duplicate Bridge. Now with your help, I have hit my own stride. I needed to hear from you about accepting personal limitations without shame. And about rebounding after failure and disappointment. And about forgiving myself. With that stuff out of my way, I can enjoy the competition and do so much better when facing it. My best to you—and thanks again for speaking to me in each chapter.”
—Judy Wellek, duplicate bridge player
“I am sharing your book with a friend of mine for her daughter who is playing basketball in college right now. Her daughter was the star of her high school team, but has not had the major successes expected in college. However, she is hanging in there and I think your book can be an inspiration to her.”
—Joanne Hurst, audience member
“Thank you so much! Your book has influenced me in so many ways. It has helped me with my staff, and I’m planning to give them some copies. And I’ve been telling my manager about it. I’ve also been spending more quality time with my daughter, which I hadn’t been able to do before; I was too distracted with my work. Thank you so much for this book!
—Yeda Medrano, branch manager, SunTrust bank, Arlington, VA
“I am about half way through and just had to say Bravo! When we were at the YMCA this week it occurred to me to give a copy to Steve, the trainer there. I think the Y should be using/promoting this book all over the U.S. It’s a better gift than a T-shirt (which they give now) when you’ve spent a certain number of hours on the machines.”
—Lynne Waymon, power walker
“After taking off from Charlotte, I started reading We Are All Athletes. I couldn’t put it down! It is wonderful! I don’t know which I enjoy more: the fact that it really makes sense and all the analogies, theories, and metaphors about athletes and life meld perfectly, or the fact that it is just like listening to Mariah talk. I am only up to ‘G for Goals,’ and I have already learned several really personally pertinent points and have made handy-dandy notes in my Palm. I can only hope for no tail winds on Monday so I can get through to ‘Z.’ Congratulations on a real winner!
—Annette Dubrouillet, athlete
“Ross and I just got back from visiting my mom at her new home in Virginia. While we were there I picked up her autographed copy of your new book and couldn’t put it down! I snuck it home with me to Louisiana so I could finish it and take notes to inspire my women’s track team...and I just ordered two copies from Amazon, one as a gift for a friend and one for myself (so I can return Mom’s copy to her)! Congratulations on another success!”
—Robin Judice, former track coach, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
One of the most helpful messages for me was to learn to welcome competition. Challenges that used to drain me now I find energizing. I used to waste a lot of energy taking things personally and bemoaning the fact that I couldn't win someone over to my side. One CEO challenged the business case for my department soon after he came to [the organization]. I tried to avoid any budget meetings with the two of us in the same room so I wouldn't have to justify expenses. Then I decided I needed to be prepared and worked on improving my business plan development and writing skills. That helped, but it was when I started to view him as "competition" that could only improve my game, it actually got fun. Thanks for sharing your insights! -- Linda Van Allen, Nurse Executive
I loved your book WE ARE ALL ATHLETES and appreciate the chance to tell you this. Even for people who are strong and have a habit of not giving up, your book is an inspiration. But it is an especially wonderful tool for those who waver ... Thank you -- Rachel
"I'm reading We Are All Athletes and cannot put it down! You sure cover a lot of ground! Please send another copy for my niece, who really needs to read this." -- Julieta Stack, pro golfer
I have been reading your book and am connecting to so much of what you say. I have incorporated the instant forgiveness into my work and my Wallyball to great success. The chapter on Endurance and the Power/Rest cycle also really stuck me. I too am sleeping better by just letting go when I am not working. Lynne and I have also planned our first vacation in a year. -- Ben Garber, athlete
Review in “Fearless Books"
(A review for independently published books)
“With some 60% of Americans overweight and a daunting percentage of them ‘morbidly’ obese, it takes a real stand-out character to exhort us all to tap our inner athletic potential. But Mariah Burton Nelson is used to standing out. A six-plus-footer who set a still-unbroken rebounding record in her basketball career at Stanford and played water polo in an ‘all-men-except-Mariah league,’ Nelson has also written several successful books for major publishers (including The Unburdened Heart, an examination of forgiveness published by Harper San Francisco) before joining the ranks of independent publishers with the first title from her own Dare Press. I’m generally not fond of books with gimmicky outlines like this one, where the author uses each letter of the alphabet for a chapter structure: A is for Athlete . . . D is for Discipline . . . T is for Teamwork and so on. But Nelson is a strong and thoughtful writer who isn’t just putting up slam-dunk platitudes. And she throws in a few ideas that don’t usually appear in improve-your-performance books, including F is Forgiveness, Q is for Quitting (‘Everyone must stop sometimes. It’s no sin’) and N is for Nagdeo (borrowed from novelist Dorothy Bryant’s The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You, in which the word ‘nagdeo’ was a greeting that meant ‘May you have experiences that lead to good dreaming’). Sophisticated enough for adults but simple and concise enough for performance-minded teens, this book presents a well-rounded collection of ideas and inspirations for staying focused and productive, regardless of whether we consider ourselves athletes of the physical stripe.”—Patrick Miller
From amazon.com’s customer reviews
“We Are All Athletes is a great book. Mariah Burton Nelson powerfully reminds us all of the athlete that exists inside of each of us and how important it is to tap into that power. So many lessons of athletics relate to business and to everyday life. Nelson beautifully illustrates that in this wonderful book! As a former professional athlete (Baseball Player - Kansas City Royals), I can attest to this.”
—Michael D Robbins, San Francisco, CA
“Since I’m nearing retirement, I shouldn’t have need for motivational materials. However, this one gave me a new and effective way to think about my ‘life after retirement’ and how I want to handle it. The ironic thing is that I recommended Mariah as a speaker for our college undergraduates and then read the book because I was impressed with her presentation. Yes, the book is relevant for all ages.”
—J. Weatherwax, New York
“Mariah Burton Nelson’s book, “We Are All Athletes,” is an excellent guide for daily life. Rather than bland clichés, Mariah offers specific actions and thought patterns that can improve one’s mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. She offers concrete ideas for setting and pursuing exercise goals, thinking like a winner, turning defeat, or setbacks, into lessons and steps forward, and treating yourself and others with respect. This is not a book just for athletes; by using sports as a metaphor, Mariah shows us how we can participate successfully in all aspects of our life, and be proactive, rather than merely reactive. It’s a short, easy read, and can be picked up at any point in the text and enjoyed.”
—T. Glenn Blakney, Beverly, MA
“I don’t think of myself as an athlete. I rarely have time to read a whole book. So I dipped into this one thinking to take ‘just a bite.’ I tasted the letter ‘J’ for joy and remembered the amazing freedom of early morning summer swims...and then went on reading. Includes some of the freshest examples, plus quotes I had never heard before. The book is full of wisdom and wit, and what surprised me the most was how often I saw my non-athletic self on so many pages. She’s right. I am an athlete in my life, work, and leadership.”
—A reader, Rockville, MD
“Just as the author is a pioneer in sports, this book is a pioneer in that it makes a compelling case for why we should ALL (regardless of age, hectic schedule, or state of fitness/flabbiness) be involved in sports or physical activity of some kind—and how we can then apply those athletic lessons in the board room and living room, at the negotiating table and dinner table. The book is divided into insightful, succinct chapters so busy readers can dip in and derive value even if they only have a few minutes to spare. I see why this book is used for leadership development. A manager or coach could assign a chapter a week, and then facilitate a fascinating discussion on how staff or team members plan to use these valuable A-Z characteristics to produce peak performance. Mariah’s thought-provoking book has the power to make us stop and reflect—and choose to do things differently. In addition to being a great read, the best endorsement is that, just a few chapters into the book, you’ll find yourself calling your tennis buddy, heading out for a hike, getting a tee time, or signing up for an aerobics class—and then applying the principles you use there with your co-workers, customers, and kids.”
—Sam Horn, Washington, DC
“Mariah is the real thing and it shows up in this book. This book is warm, thoughtful, full of good advice, friendly, and funny. You don’t even have to be or like jocks to find little gems of how to live a good life in these pages. As a spoken-word performer who cannot have an inspired ‘A game’ every night, I especially enjoyed the chapter ‘B Is for B-Game.’
‘prepare to win on an off-day.’ Mariah understands the nuances of excellence—no matter how hard you train, you have off nights or off games, but you can still win, or in my case win the audience over, with your B or C game—with the fallback on skill, training, hard-work, focus, AND the surrender to what is, not what you’d like things to be. There are many moments of such wisdom throughout this book.”
—Lauren Crux, Santa Cruz, CA
“The beauty of We Are All Athletes is in its simplicity, yet taken together, the 26 chapters give readers a model to live by. The book is an easy read that is as enjoyable and worthwhile for couch potatoes as it is for fitness enthusiasts. Nelson’s prose is warm and witty, clear and concise. Her examples are engaging and varied and her message is suitable to people representing a wide range of occupations and backgrounds.”
—Susan Schaffer, Arlington, VA
“This book makes the elements that athletes use all the time available to anyone and everyone. It’s not magic, not necessarily easy, but not that difficult. This book is like a dictionary for life. Read it, small doses at a time and keep it handy. You’ll probably refer to it often.”
—A reader, Indianapolis, IN
“Mariah Burton Nelson’s latest book is a gem. It’s filled with advice and wisdom and easy-to-grasp tips that have meaning whether you’re 12 or 82. This is for anyone who yearns to spend more time ‘in the zone,’ to be a champion. You don’t have to be an athlete to get a lot out of We Are All Athletes. And it’s a great gift idea too.”
—M. Jennings, Falls Church, VA
“We Are All Athletes is a refreshing and delightful blend of good advice and good stories. Mariah has a way of illuminating her points with relevant and entertaining vignettes. I especially enjoyed her chapter on Teamwork. The world doesn’t have enough team players!”
—Leslie S. Wilkes, Fairfax, VA
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