Life is Not a Game of Perfect: Finding Your Real Talent and Making It Work for You

The truth about human performance is far more encouraging, says Dr. Bob Rotella in Life Is Not a Game of Perfect. Dr. Rotella, the bestselling author of Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect and Golf Is a Game of Confidence, believes that talent, as conventionally defined and measured, plays a secondary role in determining one's fate. Far more important is real talent, a combination of character, attitude, and devotion, which makes greatness possible. And the good news is that anyone can develop real talent.

As always, Dr. Bob Rotella speaks from experience. He has made a career of helping people chase and catch their dreams. His authority as a sports psychologist is well known. Golfers from Tom Kite to David Duval to Pat Bradley have relied on him to help them break through to triumphs on the PGA Tour. But Bob Rotella's practice extends beyond the sports world. He is a consultant on performance enhancement to leading businesses such as Merrill Lynch, General Electric, and PepsiCo. He has worked with successful people in businesses ranging from law to entertainment.

From hundreds of clients and countless students, Dr. Bob Rotella has learned what works. In Life Is Not a Game of Perfect, he shares what he has learned and what he teaches his clients. Real talent, he explains, is "brilliance of a different sort." It is the nerve to choose a career doing something you love or the ability to learn to love what you do. It is courage, persistence, and determination. It is the ability to handle failure and honor commitments.

Whether you think so or not, real talent is within your grasp. In Life Is Not a Game of Perfect, Dr. Bob Rotella will help you make it a decisive element in your life. He can show you how to identify and cultivate the qualities that lead to success, prosperity, and happiness.

I'll be buying copies for young people that can use this to develop "real talent." I consider it a near-perfect graduation present.

As an aside, I could not disagree more with the earlier review that complained about overachieving and getting burned out. I didn't consider Rotella's approach to be a burnout one at all. If you've found what you love to do, then becoming really good at it is not a recipe for burnout, but rather satisfaction. It sounds like the sour reviewer burned himself oout at something he didn't really love, or couldn't learn to love.


This stuff really works!   July 6, 2000
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

As tough as it is to imagine, Bob Rotella's teachings on life are just as effective as his now-famous teachings on golf. This book is a good, quick read, but its impact will be felt on you long after, IF you take to heart the lessons imparted and integrate them into your life. Just as he's lowered many a handicap, Doc's lessons on the importance of free will are key to understanding the essence of "real talent"; it's not about being a workaholic, thank God...


Golf he probably knows...   December 12, 1999
 22 out of 32 found this review helpful

But this book is somewhat scatterbrained. About 60% is correct, 20% is so-so and 20% is a recipe for disaster. When he is focused on "how to do better than the next person in a competetion" his advice is of the type that will help you do better. But the essence is "work harder than the next guy". Ok, do that. Then the next guy does the same. Eventually, one of you is working 22 hour days and the other drops from an ulcer or heart attack. (Been there, done that)

Some of his basic ideas are correct, mainly that free will determines many things in life, many more than innate talent. He does identify some good role models and others who are poor role models. However, he tends to wonder off into topics where he has little or no expertise (a good editor could have done wonders here...reducing the book by 30-40% would have added 1 or 2 stars to the rating).

Anyway, for those who are chronic underachievers, the book may be of some value. For those who have gone the overachiever route and seen the toll it takes, well you would probably do like I did and put the book down about halfway to 2/3 through and go sound the alarm.

One thing that is not surprising, this book is listed as "very popular at Merrill Lynch". He is very complimentary of one particular Merrill VP workaholic in the Washington DC area.