THE BALL'S IN YOUR COURT

A doctor looks at the lives of popular sports figures in order to draw deeper lessons.

Lewis, an orthopedic surgeon by training, recalls a key quote from John Steinbeck early on in this book: “Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.” The author then mixes affectionate bits of his own autobiography—growing up in Houston in the 1940s and ’50s, attending Brandeis University—with his lifelong interest in self-help. In his early, formative years, he writes, he “jumped on the self-improvement bandwagon” and read widely of such genre classics as Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) and Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich (1937). “As a result of reading these books, I would ask any available adult such mature questions as, ‘How can I make a difference in the world—and become famous?’ ” he writes, adding sardonically, “My list of those willing to listen quickly dwindled.” Lewis shares life insights from several people he’s known, from his outspoken Uncle Whiz (short for “Isadore”) to more famous names, such as psychologist Abraham Maslow and the great surgeon William Meltzer (with whom Lewis says that he won “the mentor lottery”). Throughout the book, Lewis offers a very effective combination of affability and ability; so much so, in fact, that his account of his time hobnobbing with famous athletes—including Chicago Bulls legends Michael Jordan (“I was fortunate to frequently observe the lighter side of Michael’s personality”) and Scottie Pippen, as well as coach Phil Jackson—as a team physician, feels a bit anticlimactic. Readers will agree that Lewis himself is wise enough on his own, and he ably draws on his own long history practicing medicine in and out of the operating room. When Lewis was in medical school, for instance, a physician urged students to remember the three As: availability, affability, and ability “in that order.” “All of us thought he was crazy,” the author says, but he goes on to note that time and reflection showed those A’s to be invaluable.

A lively and inviting look at wisdom gained over a lifetime.