Why you should read this...

To fully appreciate why Mr. Adam recommended this book to students, you have to know some background about the author of the book. Dr. Maltz was a plastic surgeon. He was skilled in the art and science of making cosmetic changes to his patients. He noticed in his practice there were patients who had remarkable surgical results, yet they claimed the surgical procedure made no difference and that the doctor didn't change anything. Even with evidence of before and after photos, some patients claimed they weren't happy with the results and felt the procedure failed to make them happy. Dr. Maltz realized that this was a psychological issue, and not a cosmetic surgical one. While he did change their physical appearance, what his surgical scalpel wasn't able to change was their self-image. It became apparent that it wasn't what the patient saw in the mirror that was the cause of their unhappinesses, it was how they viewed themselves. That required further research by Dr. Matlz, which is what this book focuses on.

This relates to trumpet playing because we have to develop a healthy self-image if we are going to master a craft. Dr. Maltz describes how to proceed to accomplish that.